Paseka Mako Discharged From Hospital After Horror Clash, Will Not Play Remainder of Season for Orlando Pirates

Paseka Mako Discharged From Hospital After Horror Clash, Will Not Play Remainder of Season for Orlando Pirates

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:00 PM
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  • Paseka Mako is recovering well and has been discharged from hospital after his nasty collision with Richard Ofori
  • Paseka Mako will not return to action for Orlando Pirates for the rest of the season but will feature next season
  • Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi thanked all those who prayed and conveyed well wishes toward the player

Paseka Mako is finally heading home from hospital following his horror clash with teammate Richard Ofori.

The Orlando Pirates player was rushed to hospital following the on-field clash with the keeping during a DStv Premiership game against Baroka FC.

Paseka Mako, Discharged, Hospital, Horror, Play, Orlando Pirates, Sports, Soccer, Football, PSL, Baroka FC, DStv Premiership
TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic and players recently visited Paseka Mako in hospital. The player has since been discharged. Image: @TSGALAXYFC/ @thomasmlambo
Source: Twitter

Mako was initially unconscious following the accident, and many feared the worst at the time. Thankfully scans showed no signs of a skull fracture or brain haemorrhage. He did sustain fractures to his face and nose, though.

The player has now been discharged and is recovering well but will not be available for the rest of the season for Pirates, iDiskiTimes reported.

Prayers poured in from football fans and fellow players, and coaches for the young player since the incident.

Orlando Pirates co-coach, Mandla Ncikazi, thanked all those who conveyed well wishes towards the player, expressing his gratitude for the high level of sportsmanship displayed during this time, Times LIVE reported.

“I want to thank everybody who prayed for him to get well. Even the other teams in the PSL and players that visited him in hospital — that was a good gesture of the sport we have in our country,” Ncikazi said.

TS Galaxy were one of the clubs that put footballing rivalries aside when they visited Mako in hospital on Good Friday. Coach Sead Ramovic and a few players visited the Buccaneers player, adding that for 90 minutes, they were opponents, but for the rest of the time, they were brothers for life.

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane also expressed his relief once he heard that Mako was expected to make a full recovery.

Unconscious Orlando Pirates player Paseka Mako taken to hospital after horrific collision with Richard Ofori

Sports Brief reported that a horrifying scene unfolded at the end of Baroka FC's 0-0 draw with Orlando Pirates when defender Paseka Mako was knocked out accidentally by his goalkeeper Richard Ofori's knee.

Ofori had come out to clear the ball with Pirates looking to press for the winner when he collided with Mako as he jostled to get to the ball while a Baroka FC player was about to pounce on it. The referee immediately blew the whistle, beckoning frantically to medical staff to get on to the pitch as quickly as possible.

Players from both teams, staff on the side and the fans were left in shock at the sight unfolding before their eyes. The latter started getting angry when the ambulance inexplicably did not come onto the field, with confusion occurring on the sidelines.

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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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DStv PremiershipSouth Africa