The international Ivorian and ex Chelsea player Didier Drogba has called for better medical checks to protect footballers in his native Ivory Coast after the death of a player during a top-flight game.
Racing Club d’Abidjan (RCA) defender Moustapha Sylla, 21, collapsed during the match against SOL FC on Sunday and was pronounced dead on the way to hospital, according to his club.
Video of the incident shows Sylla stumbling before losing his balance and falling to the ground motionless near the centre-circle, prompting opposition players to call for medical assistance.
Reacting to the death, former Ivory Coast captain Drogba demanded that players be offered more medical protection by footballing authorities.
Didier Drogba wrote in French on his Twitter account that;
“Three deaths of Ivorian professional league players in less than four years.”
“Where are the compulsory medical visits for each professional player? The blood tests, the ECGs, the stress tests? When will sports medicine arrive?”
