Simba FC footballer Musana trained, lunched with teammates before his death

Fahad Musana being attended to by the team doctor after the knock on his head during the game at Nakivubo last Saturday . PHOTO BY AMINAH BABIRYE

What you need to know:

Twenty four-year-old Fahad Musana’s death came only 24 hours after he featured for Simba in their Uganda Premier League victory over Entebbe on Saturday.

Kampala- Like they always do after a match, Simba players woke up on Sunday morning and, after having breakfast, were led through the customary light training at their Bombo Barracks Ground to shake off the fatigue from the game a day before.

Among them was Fahad Musana, 24, who was instrumental in the army side’s 1-0 victory over Entebbe at Nakivubo Stadium on Saturday.

Little did Simba coach Fred Kajoba and his charges know that that was actually their last training with Musana.
“I can’t even tell you he was sick,” Kajoba told Daily Monitor yesterday, adding: “He played the entire game on Saturday and we even trained together yesterday (Sunday) morning. He was okay.”

Musana is said to have died later that evening while watching an English Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea, to whom he is a known passionate fan.

Some sources claim the deceased, who eye-witnesses say passed on before being taken to Bombo Military Barracks, died after Manchester City’s Frank Lampard equalised against his former team to cancel Andre Schurle’s opener.

One other unconfirmed report claims Musana had placed a bet on Lampard not scoring against Chelsea and could have died out of pressure.

But one of the deceased’s closest friends, Gerald Bagoole, dismisses those allegations. “He was a passionate fan of Chelsea but he never gambled,” he told Daily Monitor yesterday.

However, another incident that could be linked to Musana’s death happened during their Saturday match at Nakivubo.

Midway the second half, Musana and his defensive partner; also Simba skipper - Joshua Kabale - were involved in an aerial collision that involved a clash of heads and awkward falling.

Medical explanation
Kabale got up instantly but Musana stayed down. After treatment, club medics gave him an all-clear to proceed with play. By press time yesterday, post mortem results were yet to be known. But could the incident at Nakivubo have had a say in the player’s death?

“It’s possible if the player experienced a subdural hematoma,” explains Dr Vincent Karuhanga, a city medic and KFM doctor.

A subdural haematoma is a serious brain condition that is caused when blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.

“For example, if – after the collision - the player awkwardly moved his neck and head when already bleeding on the cover of the brain, areas concerned with breathing and circulation to the heart could have got affected, which could have led to death.

“There is also what we call the Broken Heart Syndrome, a temporary heart condition which can affect the heart out of shock or stressful situations.

“If the player got shocked as a result of his team conceding a goal, then too much adrenaline could have been produced, forcing blood vessels to constrict – thus heart failure,” said Dr Karuhanga.

FRIENDS RECOLLECTIONS

Gerald Bagoole a close friend of Musana, scored Simba’s lone goal on Saturday. He recounts his mate’s last moments.
“On Sunday we woke up and had the usual light training after a game. It was a one-hour’s training. After training I went home and he went to his (still in Bombo).

We then linked up where we normally have lunch and had lunch with all players… we ate the same food. After that we walked together and he went to his home and I went to mine – with a few of my other friends (teammates).

At about 2pm, he came to my place and we chatted with other friends, who I had come home with.

So we later left for the Chelsea game but somehow, I went to another Kibanda (makeshift video hall) this time, and he went to his with some other teammates. After the match, I got a call from one of the boys at the Kibanda and he was telling me my friend had died. I got confused. I called my other friend who was with Fahad and he just told me: ‘Come. He is dead.

I’m not a doctor but the only thing I remember is when we were travelling back to Bombo after the Saturday match, Fahad did tell me he felt pain in his back, maybe because of that knock.”