ZNSSA to roll out medical cover

assurance company.
ZNSSA officials have already held a number of negotiations, with the company’s executive, and yesterday the supporters’ organisation revealed that they were close to tying a deal.
ZNSSA executive, Wellington Mpandare, said they will engage all the football clubs in the Premiership to discuss ways of how their fans can qualify for assurance cover in the event of something happening to them while inside the stadium.
“It’s unique because it has never been tried here before but we are determined to make a big difference and ensure that it works and or initial discussions have shown us that we can come up with a good scheme,” said Mpandare.
We will engage the clubs so that we can talk to the people who represent their supporters and try and sell them this idea where they could qualify for medical cover in the event of something happening to them while they are watching football in any of our stadiums.
“Football is an emotional game and anything can happen at any given moment and we have already seen our fair share of violence happening at our major stadiums and we want to provide a situation where, in the event of such things happening and injuries occurring, the fans would be under both medical and life assurance cover.
“Obviously, what this means is that we will have to get a certain contribution, in terms of a very minimal amount of funds, which the interested fans will contribute so that they can be roped into the scheme.
“We have done most of the logistics and have been in touch with the company that we want to underwrite the scheme and we are proud to say that we have covered a lot of ground and it’s a very promising venture.”
Mpandare said it was important for his organisation to remain seized with the welfare of the supporters.
“We take a lot of things for granted but if you look closely at football you will realise that is a game for the poor people and, normally, when something bad happens, they have no fall back position to help themselves,” said Mpandare.
“In South Africa they have a lot of medical and assurance covers for the fans and a lot of them are run by the clubs themselves and we have to do something about it.
“We have a big company that is ready to roll out a scheme that can benefit the supporters, in the event of injury or even death occurring in a stadium, and we have all the confidence that this company can deliver.”
There was violence in Nairobi on Sunday and a number of fans were injured during the derby between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards while rampaging fans also brought a premature ending to a derby in the Greek capital, Athens, on the same day.
Meanwhile, the ZNSSA also joined the football world yesterday in wishing Bolton Wanderers’ midfielder, Fabrice Muamba, a speedy recovery.
Muamba, a naturalised Englishman who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, collapsed during an English Premiership FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane in London on Saturday night.
“The football family is one and it doesn’t matter that Fabrice was an Englishman because, when he collapsed that day, we all felt it and we wish him a speedy recovery,” said ZNSSA leader, Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga.
“It’s incredible that he survived and we have to thank the Lord for that because the pictures were scary but we are together with the Bolton fans and all the supporters around the world who are wishing this boy all the best because we want to see him back on the pitch.”