Right down the line: The speed used on the road should be saved for the field
We are not going to fight them because it’s their money, but it is important that they observe road rules and regulations.
It was a sad weekend in the football world after Thambinkosi Mbamba died in an accident last Friday.
This was one week after TS Galaxy won the Nedbank Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium. A full report of the accident is not yet available. It is a concern though that young players are losing their lives on our roads. It’s heartbreaking to see talent vanishing from the face of the earth in an instant. We all know that some players get a fat salary cheques every month, and that comes with driving expensive sports cars.
We are not going to fight them because it’s their money, but it is important that they observe road rules and regulations. I’m not insinuating that Mbamba was the one driving, as there are no details of the accident, but we have seen some players on the wrong side of the law or, even worse, die.
The speed we see on the road should be used in the field. Remember, Lesley Manyathela, Sinethemba Jantjie, Richard Henyekane, Cecil Lolo and Mondli Cele, and 19-year-old Wiseman Meyiwa midfielder was forced to retire due to injuries from an accident that left him in a wheelchair after a spinal cord injury.
The list is endless and some of these players’ lives were spared, but it is a lesson to the young ones that they do not have to drive in the fast lane. We’re not telling them what to do, but they must consider their lives and those of others. It is unfortunate that one is not in control of fate because you do find situations where the other driver is in the wrong. Those incidences happen because human beings are not perfect. I hope the team managers guide, mentor and instil good values to the young players, because we still need them.
