President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari has set up a medical panel to dig into the unfortunate incident of the death of Ocean Boys FC defender Emmanuel Ogoli in a Premier league match on Sunday.
Ogoli slumped and died en route to the hospital during a premier league tie between his club and Niger Tornadoes of Minna at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on Sunday.
“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 necessary steps were taken by the NPL and Ocean Boys FC, this young man Emmanuel Ogoli would perhaps still be alive today.”
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 for matches.
“The medical committee will not only be looking at the clubs and their records alone but will have to look at the situation in the 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.
Information made available to SuperSport.com on Monday by the NFF chief media officer Ademola Olajire showed Dr Abdulkadir Muazu, a renowned physician is the head of the committee which includes Dr Akin Amoo, Dr Azubuike Onyebuchi, Dr Ken Anugweje and Dr Mohammed Sani Isah, while Christian Emeruwa will serve as Secretary.
The committee is expected to 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 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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