In unfortunate circumstances, Zambian winger Lameck Banda collapsed during US Lecce’s 2-1 defeat to Napoli in the Italian Serie A on Saturday.
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte recounted events as Banda was rushed to hospital.
Lecce struck early with a goal in the third minute at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium through Jamil Siebert. The hosts responded just after the break when Rasmus Højlund got onto the end of a Matteo Politano cross to fire past Wladimiro Falcone.
Politano turned the game on its head with a stunning volley in the 67th minute to win the match for Conte’s side.
However, in the dying embers of the contest, Chipolopolo star Lameck Banda collapsed to the ground after colliding with Miguel Gutiérrez.
Conte was one of the first people to notice and alerted the medical staff, who rushed onto the pitch to attend to the Zambian.
“That scared me” – Conte.
“At first, I thought he [Banda] might just be injured, but then I realised he collapsed and put his hand over his chest. That scared me. So I rushed onto the pitch and called for help. When I got close, I asked, ‘Are you in pain?’ and he said, ‘Yes’. Medical staff arrived immediately and treated him. Fortunately, there’s good news. His wife is expecting a baby, so we wish him and his family all the best. He’s a good player. Although the moment was frightening, the quick response was reassuring.”
Through an official statement, Lameck Banda’s personal manager, Francis Malambo, wrote after the match, “I would like to inform the public that Lameck Banda is in good condition and the situation concerning him is not serious. We appreciate the concern shown by the public, supporters, and the football community. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. God bless.“
Zambia will compete against hosts Botswana, Malawi, and Zimbabwe at the upcoming four-nation tournament set for Francistown from 28th to 31st March, 2026.
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