President of the Nigeria Football Federation,Aminu Maigari, has set up a medical panel to dig into the unfortunate incident of the death of Ocean Boys F.C defender Emmanuel Ogoli in a Premier League match on Sunday.
Ogoli slumped under his own weight during a Nigeria Premier League match between his club and Niger Tornadoes of Minna at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on Sunday, and died as he was being rushed to hospital by medics.
“This is a very sad incident and we must make every effort to ensure it does not happen again. We must look into the whole gamut of how our players are certified medically fit to play football at the beginning of every season, and how the clubs ensure or fail to ensure medical fitness of their players during the season.
“The committee will also have the mandate to invite officials of the Nigeria Premier League and question them on salient matters. Human life is too dear to be wasted in this manner. If the necessary steps were taken by the Nigeria Premier League and Ocean Boys FC, this young man Emmanuel Ogoli would perhaps still be alive today”, stated a sorrowful Maigari.
Ogoli’s death once again brought to the fore worries about the medical fitness of our players, and whether Clubs do enough to certify their players fit and fiddle for the physically -exerting business of football.
“The medical committee will not only be looking at the Premier League clubs and their records alone; they will have to look at the situation in the Nigeria National League, the Women’s League and the Amateur League. It is time we stop burying our young players as a result of negligence”, added Alhaji Maigari.
The committee, which is headed by Dr. Abdulkadir Muazu, a renowned physician with over 20 years practising experience, also includes Dr. Akin Amoo, Dr. Azubuike Onyebuchi, Dr. Ken Anugweje and Dr. Mohammed Sani Isah. These are highly experienced persons in the areas of doping matters and cardiology. Mr. Christian Emeruwa will be the Secretary.
It would come up with necessary policies and guidelines that will not only prevent the avoidable incidences of sudden death but also ensure the provision of adequate medical care to all Nigerian footballers in the organized Leagues and national teams.
Among other things, the committee will develop a pre-participation medical screening protocol for all players in line with FIFA guidelines and the provision of trained medical personnel and everyday medical equipment at all match venues.
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