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Sad: When players die on the pitch

Kiambu
 Death is all around us Photo: Courtesy

Cardiac arrest has caused a number of fatalities among footballers.

In recent years it has been noted that players with sub-Saharan African backgrounds seem to have been afflicted in unusually high proportions.

The parallels are striking. Elite athletes in their primes fall on their faces near the middle of the pitch. They do not rise. Death is all around us. It is a condition of life.

But the collapse of someone as young and fit as Tanzania’s Ismail Mrisho of Mbao FC, shocks us on a fundamental level. Mrisho fell to the ground minutes after scoring his team’s opener against Mwadui FC in the Vodacom U20 tournament.

The player didn’t seem to be in pain or discomfort after the collapse as witnessed in video that has gone viral on social media. All the signs point to cardiac arrest.

Cameroon’s Mac Vivien Foe and Patrick Ekeng lost their lives because of heart problems while playing. Fabrice Muamba formerly of Bolton and of Zairean descent almost lost his life due to cardiac arrest.

Nwankwo Kanu, on signing for Inter Milan, doctors found a faulty aortic valve in his heart. An operation in America ensured he went on to a long and fulfilling career.

A Fifa-backed medical research team focused specifically on heart risk among the players at the 2009 African Under 17 championship in Algeria.

The team of academics involved found that “black African athletes seem to have an increased risk of adverse cardiac events during sports events.

They recommended improved screening procedures and awareness that, while sub-Saharan Africa may produce more than its share of talented athletes, a small but slightly higher than average proportion of them may be vulnerable.

One of the reasons that Fifa and Caf are pushing for the strict implementation of club Llicencing , is to promote sporting values in accordance with the principles of fair play as well as safe and secure match environments

Players need to be secured about their health considering the demanding performances expected from them. Players need to feel safe. Football makes extreme demands on the cardiovascular system. Perhaps some fatalities cannot be prevented, some could.

I would imagine that a heart attack or cardiac arrest don’t just happen randomly. One of the symptoms is dizziness while playing. There are usually some other factors that lead to it.

I’m by no means an expert in any of this, but if there’s something that’s preventable, then we (all stakeholders of Kenyan football) need to prevent it.

We can’t allow this to happen. It is happening with alarming regularity around us, and the KPL door is about to get a knock. It’s not an “if” issue but a “when”.

The more the reason the bodies running Kenyan football FKF & KPL should introduce mandatory extensive medical screening, pre and post season, procedures.

Our players never go through any medical screening yet expected to perform at the highest level with the highest intensity week in week out. Isn’t that insane?

KPL should review existing emergency medical procedures, check equipment such as heart defibrillators (Patrice Muamba owes his life to not only well trained medics but a stand by defibrillator) are in place and review routes to the nearest hospitals.

FKF should demand that clubs have medically trained pitch side doctors, only Tusker’s Dr. James Makanga qualifies as one, and well trained aids who can offer professional CPR. Dr. Makanga professionalism and experience was highlighted when Eugene Asike clashed with Omar Mbongi in the GO-TV final 2016.

They shouldn’t be left shaken and bewildered as a young man clinging to life is carried off the pitch on a stretcher. It makes them sick to the stomach. Tragedies can be prevented if precautions are taken.

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