Canada: Daring freedivers play football underwater and UPSIDE DOWN

A diving instructor has played a game of one-a-side football while upside down underneath a thick sheet of ice covering a frozen lake.

Andrew Ryzebol, 29, played the game with his friend Alex to see who could get the ball to the surface of Lake Huron in Toronto, Ontario.

Andrew’s wife Lily captured the moment the pair tussled over the soccer ball by walking upside down across the ice while underwater on Friday.

Both free divers struggled with their coordination as they tried to use their feet to manoeuvre the ball. 

Andrew told MailOnline: ‘The ball is very difficult to kick because it is light weight and has a large volume, so when we kick it the water resistance makes it barely move.’ 

Andrew Ryzebol (pictured), 29, played the game with his friend Alex to see who could get the ball to the surface of the lake in Toronto, Ontario

During the four-minute video the pair managed to stay underwater for as long as 40 seconds at a time as they held their breath during each round of the match.

After an average of 30 seconds underwater the divers both swam to the surface to gulp in waves of fresh icy air.

They spend a couple of minutes getting their breath back before diving under the layer of ice for another round.

Andrew’s wife Lily captured the moment the pair tussled over the soccer ball by walking upside down across the ice while underwater

During the four-minute video the pair managed to stay underwater for as long as 40 seconds at a time as they held their breath during each round of the match

The temperatures in the Great Lakes in Ontario average -12C (54F), which can be dangerous for humans.

Andrew (pictured) and Alex wore thick cold water wetsuits

But Andrew and Alex wore thick cold water wetsuits and covered their skin completely to shield it from the biting temperatures.

Andrew said: ‘We are freedivers so we have trained to hold our breath for long periods of time underwater safely.

‘We dive under the ice as often as possible each winter and use wetsuits to help keep us warm.

‘We are playing on the underside of the ice, so we are upside down. The ice is very slippery and the water has a lot of resistance so it is difficult to properly play soccer as we would on ground. 

‘All of this makes for a very new and fun way to play soccer. We are running low on ice now but hope to play some more soccer in a few days before we have to wait till next year again.’