Bullets party ends in tragedy
Fifa/FAM Under-16 League player for Blantyre Select team died on Sunday after being hit by a vehicle at Kameza as Nyasa Big Bullets celebrated their Carlsberg Cup victory on their way from Lilongwe.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) youth development officer James Sangala and Blantyre Select coach Abel Mkandawire confirmed yesterday Raphael Nkhoma’s death. He will be buried at Ngumbe in Chileka, Blantyre today.
“It is painful to lose such a blossoming talent at this time when we are building a team for the future through grass roots football. We are saddened by Nkhoma’s death,” Sangala said.
On his part, Mkandawire described the death of the midfielder as a big loss to the team.
“He was one of the most reliable midfielders in our team. It will be hard to find his replacement,” he said.
According to Sangala, Nkhoma is a third Under-16 league player to die within a space of 11 months. He said a player for Ntchisi Select died of malaria while the other died after being bitten by a wild dog believed to have rabies.
Chileka Police Station public relations officer Grace Mwale yesterday said they were yet to get the details of the accident, saying they were still investigating.
Bullets beat their age-old rivals Be Forward Wanderers 5-3 on post-match penalties at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Saturday to win the cup.n
