FAITH NDOU
MASVINGO-Questions have been raised over match day safety after there was reportedly no ambulance at Mucheke Stadium during the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League clash between FC Wangu Mazodze and Africa Mineral Ventures FC on Sunday.
An FC Wangu Mazodze player who was injured during the match had to be taken to hospital by a private car.
The incident occurred shortly after the start of the second half when FC Wangu Mazodze introduced substitute goalkeeper Nico Fish in place of Lee Madziro, who had conceded two first-half goals.
Supporters had been calling for a change in goal before the substitution was made.
Just three minutes after coming on, Nico Fish bravely dived to stop an attack but crashed face-first into the goalpost, suffering a serious injury that required urgent medical attention.
However, there was no ambulance at the stadium to transport the injured goalkeeper to hospital.
Instead, Masvingo City Mayor Alec Tabe, who is also a member of FC Wangu Mazodze’s executive, used his private vehicle to rush the player for treatment.
The region’s administrator, Fungai munyoro-Chingaira told The Midweek Watch that they have taken note of the incident and measures will be put in place to avoid such embarrassing occurances in future.
“We are aware of the unfortunate injury sustained by the goalkeeper, and we extend our best wishes for his full and speedy recovery.
The league has taken note of concerns raised regarding the availability of an ambulance at the match venue.
Player safety and welfare remain a top priority for the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League. We also recognize the importance of continually strengthening our match-day safety standards.
The issue of ambulance provision at league matches has been identified as an important agenda item and will be discussed at our forthcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), where clubs and stakeholders will consider measures to enhance player safety across the league,” said Chingaira.
The absence of an ambulance has sparked concerns over compliance with match day safety regulations. Under normal circumstances, football matches are expected to have an ambulance and adequate security including police presence, before kickoff.
The home team FC Wangu Mazodze is the one that should have provided an ambulance before the match.
The incident comes barely two weeks after Masvingo United FC goalkeeper Talkmore Tinarwo sustained an injury during a league match in Mutare and was immediately transported by ambulance to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
A similar incident also occurred in the Central Region Soccer League on Saturday when Shabanie Mine FC substitute Nyasha Pasi suffered a serious stomach injury after an off-the-ball karate-style kick during a match against Vhembe Stars FC in Beitbridge.
An ambulance was available and quickly ferried him to hospital, although the referee only issued a yellow card to the offending player.
The contrast between the two incidents has intensified calls for football authorities to ensure that mandatory medical and safety requirements are met at every league fixture to safeguard players’ lives.
