
* Spent 14 days admitted at University Teaching Hospital and is going to recuperate at his family home
* After the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz involved in a collision with an oncoming truck
Maravi Express
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Rainford Kalaba is reported to have been discharged from the University Teaching Hospital where he had been under treatment after a fatal car accident two weeks ago.

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Reports by confirmed by Citi Sports Online, Kick442 and 3News all quote University Teaching Hospital’s health officials as confirming the news having been admitted for 14 days and is going to recuperate at his family home.
The 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz involved in a collision with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue.
And initially, he was reported as dead before hours later the hospital announced he was alive and in coma.

The car crash
Kalaba, known for his distinguished club career primarily at TP Mazembe, secured notable victories including the CAF Champions League in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016 and in additionally, he had a stint in Portugal.
A significant contributor to the Chipolopolo squad, Kalaba played a pivotal role in Zambia’s AFCON victory in 2012 and has won several trophies with TP Mazembe including CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
The former Chipolopolo captain is a highly respected figure in Zambian football and his fans and the broader football community in the country have expressed relief and joy at the news of his recovery.
The 37-year-old represented Zambia in 103 international matches, scoring 15 goals and his impact on African football extended to TP Mazembe before he officially announced his retirement from active football on June 27, 2023 after a career spanning over 15 years.

In action during the 2012 AFCON final
Meanwhile, TP Mazembe founder and president, Moise Katumbi announced on Thursday that Kalaba is going to join his club’s technical staff, saying he was an exemplary player during his successful 13-year career with the DR Congo side before retiring last year and continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans and teammates alike.
“Other players can take his example,” Katumbi is quoted as saying. “We won a lot of trophies with him. He’s going to join the Mazembe technical staff.
“He’s like a son to me. I thank the Lord, the Zambian government and the doctors. If it was anywhere else, we’d lose Kalaba,” he was quoted as saying.
He visited Kalaba on his way to watch TP Mazembe play against Al Ahly in Cairo, Egypt for the second leg of the CAF Champions League semifinal.

Katumbi at the Lusaka University Hospital
Sport News Africa reported that Katumbi was at the bedside of his club’s former player at the Lusaka University Hospital.
Also in a touching gesture of solidarity, TP Mazembe players honored Kalaba by raising his jersey before their first leg CAF Champions League match against Al Ahly, sending him wishes for a speedy recovery.

In solidarity
Kalaba was involved in a fatal car crash in which he was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue and the female driver of the car was killed.
He suffered “internal injuries” and a police report issued after the crash stated preliminary investigations indicate the accident was a result of “improper overtaking” by the Mercedes.—Reporting by Citi Sports Online, Kick442, 3News, Sport news Africa & Lusaka Times

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