Get well, Muamba
Heart warming indeed to see outpouring of concern for Bolton star
SUCH is the hype surrounding football these days that we tend to forget that the players, despite their larger-than-life persona, are mortals too.
Gifted individuals who are flesh and blood like all of us and vulnerable to everything bad that can befall man.
It often takes a tragedy, like the heart attack that felled Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba during the FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday, to remind us of our mortality.
Muamba collapsed in the 41st minute of the game on Saturday and medics spent six minutes trying to revive him before rushing him to hospital.
The clash was later called off with the match tied at 1-1.
The appalling scenes of Muamba lying prone on the pitch and the horrified look of the players told the story. What was reassuring, however, was the manner in which the players, officials, medical staff and the fans responded to the situation.
It was reaffirmation of the innate goodness of man and restored faith in humanity.
The outpouring of concern and sympathy for the young player was heart-warming as was the universal call for prayer for Muamba, who is in a critical condition.
It transcended race, religion and tribal club rivalry and united football. I join them in that prayer just as I am sure other Malaysians have.
That a footballer, and only 23, could suffer a heart attack is hard to comprehend. But it only serves to underscore the fact that we can never take anything for granted. That life is fleeting.
Like former Liverpool player and now TV pundit Kevin Keegan said, everything else pales into insignificance.
Keegan, who was at White Hart Lane commenting for ESPN, should know.
He was manager of Manchester City when Marc-vivien Foe died on the pitch while playing for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in Lyon, France, in 2003.
Like Muamba, Foe too just collapsed in the centre circle and, although he was alive upon arrival at the stadium’s medical centre he died shortly afterwards.
And Keegan said on Saturday: “Marc died in a very similar incident. He was right in his prime, 28 years old.
“I saw it on TV and straight away when you see some people fall, you don’t have to be a doctor to know it’s not good.”
In August 2007, Leicester City’s Clive Clarke collapsed in the changing room during halftime of a League Cup tie against Nottingham Forest.
The Irishman, 27 at that time, had suffered a cardiac arrest as well. He won his fight for life and hopes Muamba will too.
Muamba, a well-loved and respected man, has lived through adversity. His family fled war-torn Zaire (now Congo), when he was a boy and he endured hardships before turning pro at 17. Let us pray that he will continue to show the same tenacity in fighting for his life.
As the world awaited good news about Muamba’s condition, action continued unabated on the pitch – both in the FA Cup and EPL.
Defending Premier League champions Manchester United continued from where they left off by turning on a five-star performance to slay Wolves at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A brace by Javier Hernandez and one apiece from Jonny Evans, Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck were enough for United to thump 10-man Wolves 5-0 and move four points clear of neighbours City, who have a game in hand.
United, who have an easier title run-in than City, have now won five league games in a row.
It looks like the title is United’s to lose as it’s City turn to play catch-up now.
Only four Premier League matches were played due to the FA Cup quarter-final action.
One other significant result, for me, was Swansea’s 3-0 demolition of Fulham.
I am a big fan of Brendan Rodgers’ Swans. Win or lose, they play the way the beautiful game is supposed to be played - free-flowing and pleasing to the eye.
This column would not be complete without mentioning how Fernando Torres finally ended his goal drought by bagging a brace to help Chelsea beat Leicester 5-2 and qualify for the FA Cup semi-finals.
The £50mil striker had gone 25 hours and 41 minutes without scoring before he netted the double.
How those two goals must have lifted the weight off his shoulder, finally.
Let’s hope football fans will now get to see El Nino doing what he does best – plundering goals – on a regular basis (except when up against Liverpool).
Now, if only Liverpool’s £35mil signing Andy Carroll can do the same. But that’s a story for another day.
For now, let’s keep Muamba and his family in our prayer. Get well soon, Fabrice. R. Manogaran says: “As much as I love Liverpool, I just couldn’t enjoy our FA Cup quarter-final win over Stoke – not after what happened to Muamba.”