Tottenham’s FA Cup tie against Bolton was dramatically called off when Trotters midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed in the centre of the White Hart Lane pitch after suffering a suspected heart attack in front of 36,000 fans and a television audience of a million.
The 23-year-old, who was reported to have stopped breathing, received cardio-resuscitation treatment from doctors and paramedics as shocked and distressed players from both sides looked on.
Some of them were in tears, others openly prayed while Muamba, an England Under 21 player who had arrived in Britain as an 11-year-old when his father was granted asylum after earlier fleeing as a political refugee from their native Democratic Republic of Congo, fought for his life.
After 10 minutes of treatment, Muamba was carried from the field on a stretcher and rushed to the London Chest Hospital, where he was still being treated late on Saturday night.
A statement from Bolton said: ‘Fabrice is currently in a critically ill condition in intensive care.’
Muamba’s collapse in the 41st minute went largely unnoticed by the majority of the supporters in the stadium. He had not been involved in a collision, no other player was near him and he was moving into position for a goal-kick when he collapsed.
As it quickly became clear that the problem was of the utmost seriousness, Bolton and Spurs players, including Rafael van der Vaart and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, gestured desperately to the bench for immediate treatment.
Bolton physio Andy Mitchell rushed to Muamba’s aid and he was joined by doctors and CPR staff as it became apparent that the situation was life-threatening.
Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager, joined the medical teams near the centre circle while players and staff from both teams gathered on the touchline near the dugout, consoling one another. Some, including Dedryck Boyota and Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, were in tears.
Bolton fans chanted Muamba’s name in a gesture of support and they were joined by Tottenham fans as the gravity of the situation became clear.
After 10 minutes of treatment, Muamba was put on a stretcher and CPR continued as he left the pitch to sustained applause.
He was taken to hospital, Coyle and club captain Kevin Davies travelling with him.
A distressed Scott Parker, the Tottenham captain, appeared to tell World Cup referee Howard Webb that the game could not continue. Shortly afterwards Webb, who also spoke to Coyle and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, took the players to the dressing rooms and within 10 minutes fans were told that the game had been abandoned.
The announcement was met with restrained applause as the crowd began to depart. Those in the West Stand, which adjoins the main entrance at White Hart Lane, were asked to wait while the ambulance carrying Muamba departed.Â
(Daily Mail UK)
Shame and wishing the young and talented player a quick recovery too
Watched it happen was sad and wishing the youngman a quick recovery, as in dotted lines, he is partly Zambian. It is the tales of Kafupi.Â
We pray for the young lad Mwamba.
Mwamba Zed!!!!
Wish him a speedy and quick recovery!!
The incidence sounds was same as when Chaswe Nsofwa died. Sad indeed. Fabrice Muamba is from D.R.Congo as reported, not Zambian even though he looks like a Bemba boy. From Katanga though, all Lamba land. I confirmed last season when he was hotty, with friends from TP Mazembe.
QUICK RECOVERY!
Get better soon son!
Was sad to see
He is lucky as this is due to quick thinking by the first aid team who gave him prolonged Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Â en-route to the specialist London Chest Hospital where his heart eventually started working.Â
I hate to imagine the oucome if it was one of our players in Zambia with our ill-equipped institutions to deal with such heart cases.Â
It is really sad get well soon we need u.
I watched this boy play at Birmingham when i visited England in 2007 when they played Aston villa he looks Zambian. i wish him well.
6# Y Bemba Boy. You a tribalist, young man. Grow.
Kangoni, thats a very good remark, “He looks Zambian.”
I meant, You are a tribalist.
He was once in Kililabombwe
He is a great boy! God will see him thru!
Mungu akulinde ndugu Muamba na tunaomba upone haraka.Hiyo ni hali hatari sana na tuko nawewe katika muda huu wa kupigania maisha yako.
No comment!
What causes heart attacks? My thinking has been that athletic individuals like soccer players have a lower hazard of such compared to the pot belly carrying individuals.
may the Holly Spirit,the giver of life,be with you son.
This is too bad; I wonder if it is some kind dilated cardiomyopathy, that is, when the heart muscle is enlarged and it cannot effectively pump blood, leading to arrthymias (the heart beat is not normal) and possibly cardiac arrest (the heart stops). There is a type of cardiomyopathy that athletes are a heightened risk of, but anyone at any age can be at risk of cardiomyopathy (it can from a virus or other infection, or from a genetic problem) and it can often have no symptoms until sudden death (unless it is caught in a heart screening such as an echocardiogram, but since it can happen at any time, you would have to be screening frequently to catch all cases of it). I knew a young man who suddenly passed away from it and no one knew he had it, as there had been no other symptoms.
Anyway, I hope the best for this player. About the last post, I think the kind found often in athletes is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
#10 Every situation haz comez with its own challengez irrespective of where it happenz. We should just commend the medics who were on hand and wish Mwamba well.
wish the young lad quickest recovery!
Yeah, sad for the young lad. I bet that is the end of his career. Any way everything happens for a reason. I am without doubt God Almighty who sees the bigger picture knows what is in store for the young man. May His will prevail. Even in worse times, we get consoled by that – After all to God, makes no difference whether someone is alive or dead. Remember what Paul said, that ‘For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. We should all give our lives to God through His Son Jesus Christ – not on one’s death bed when you have no choice.