Ndlovu, who moved from DeMbare and was now plying his trade at Central Region Division 1 side Silo, collapsed at Rutendo Stadium during a match between his team and Rutendo Stars. Ndlovu (21) collapsed in the 55th minute as he was about to take a free kick. Hewas attended to by Silo medics, but they could not determine his ailment and he was ferried to Kwekwe General Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
Its only now that revelations have revealed that Ndlovu, who has since been buried in Nkayi, was asthmatic. Club chairman Michael Njobvu told The Zimbabwean that his entire executive was not aware that the late talented youngster, a sure candidate for the national team, was asthmatic.
FIFA standards stipulate that teams should conduct regular medical check-ups for their players and, if this had been done in the case of Ndlovu, his life could have been saved. In a broader view, the case shows how Zimbabwe as a country and ZIFA in particular, does not strictly adhere to FIFA statutes on constant checkups of players and a provision for medical experts to be physically present on matches. Its basic standard but its not prioritized. Many teams even in the supreme league play matches without these.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News