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Zibusiso ‘Mzimara’ Sibanda

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City captain, Zibusiso “Mzimara” Sibanda has been ruled out for the rest of the season after a head injury during a league match landed him in hospital on Saturday.

Sibanda was injured in a clash of heads with teammate and fellow centre back, Nyasha Mukumbi during their side’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Ngezi Platinum Stars in the Castle Lager Premiership at Barbourfields Stadium.

Early reports suggested that Sibanda had suffered a fractured forehead and these were yesterday confirmed by City team manager, Edmund Tizirayi Luphahla.

Luphahla said the first set of scans done on Saturday at Mpilo Hospital were X-rays which revealed cracks on the player’s forehead. He said the scans had also shown that the defender had a depression on his skull which led to a decision by the consulting neurologist to have Sibanda taken for a CT scan.

Sibanda is still admitted to Mpilo Hospital where his condition is said to be stable.

“When he was initially admitted on Saturday, Mzimara was X-rayed then seen by a neurologist who ordered CT scans to be done.  Initially they were supposed to be done yesterday, but they will now be done tomorrow afternoon (today).

“The CT scans will enable the doctors to rule any form of damage to the brain itself or blood vessels,” said Luphahla.

The City team manager also said doctors had advised the club against playing Sibanda for the rest of the season whatever the outcome of the CT scans.

“Yesterday doctors that have been attending to Mzimara round the clock told us that we must not make plans around the player for the remainder of the season. We hope he will recover but we don’t want to take risks,” Luphahla said.

Sibanda has been instrumental in City’s Chibuku Super Cup run and is one of head coach Mandla Mpofu’s trump cards.

“Mzimara’s injury is a huge blow for us because he has been one of the most consistent players in our team. Considering  the results that we’ve been getting, I think he could have easily made it into the country’s top 11 players at the end of the season. We are praying for a miracle to happen to him and hope that he quickly recovers. The fears are that since he heads the ball with his forehead and as such we can’t risk him,” said Mpofu.

Sibanda, a former Caps United defender will miss tomorrow’s match against How Mine.

Mpofu will have to juggle around with his defence. The central defenders that Mpofu has at his disposal are Mukumbi, Zephaniah Ngodzo and Douglas Sibanda.

@ZililoR