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KOKI: THIS IS MY GOODBYE TO YOU

02/09/2020 07:07:00 BY SAMKELISO MDLULI

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In September 2015, Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro decided to leave the club - six weeks after criticism from manager Jose Mourinho in a much-publicised fallout between a team doctor and head coach, but there are more such tales that go untold to the public.

Carneiro had her role reduced after Mourinho told off his medical staff for treating Eden Hazard during the 2-2 draw with Swansea on August 8, 2015 – one of the frost moments and even though the club asked her to return to work, she decided not to.

What happened?

Eva Carneiro and head physio Jon Fearn went onto the pitch to treat midfielder Hazard in the closing stages of the draw with Swansea. It meant the Blues were down to nine men, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois having been sent off, and Mourinho said the duo had not thought about the situation properly.

Carneiro lost her place on the bench and was no longer allowed to attend matches or training sessions and two days after the incident, she posted a message on Facebook thanking the public for their overwhelming support.

Decision

Mourinho stood by his decision to remove her from her role, adding he had a good relationship with his medical staff but with little options left for her given the not so conducive and highly toxic relationship, walking away was probably the most sane thing to do.

Why this parable?

As news of the untimely passing away of Thabo Vilakati reached my ears, touching me emotionally, draining me physically, one positive stood out to comfort me – the late Koki’s

approach to the medical teams, which remained one of his most professional attributes he leaves with on his journey to heaven.

It could have been me suffering the Carneiro-Mourinho moments but at least I never did and this is worth celebrating – a leaf drawn out from the charismatic coach who instilled a winning mentality in everyone without disrespecting any of the team segments.

Can you truly think of a coach in your past that caused you to reach your outmost best? For me, it will be Mphephetse.

For many team doctors the job gets harder with injuries to key players at a time the team is in need of winning pressure games and most of the moments in time this is a breaking point of many

relationships between head coaches and team doctors.

Football is a tough sport; tougher than the most who play it.

Sometimes coaches are tempted to play some of the injured key players, disregarding medical advice and further exacerbating the injury thus jeopardising the recovery process, “UVA BATSI ‘MJOVE’! This was alien to Koki.

Notwithstanding the brutality of the sport, there were considerable football skills to be learned.

This included managing injuries in football and as a coach, the late Koki made it a lot easier for me and players without jeopardy to the result, recovery and career.

There was no doubt that coach Vilakati’s game knowledge on the practice field, enabled me and others to venture beyond our technical comfort zones.

He knew the science of football and he led from personal experience – leading passer in club football.

He was all about the team and had a superior understanding of the technical part of football, which he selflessly shared; but far more memorable, he had the ability to inspire and enable everyone like me to reach greater heights.

Koki’s name will forever be one of those names for eternity – fare thee well Mphephetse, I will always cherish you coach.

You will never understand and imagine the effects of losing someone closer to you mainly due to COVID-19. I think it is time we realise the effect of the pandemic in relation to mortality and I would like to take this opportunity to share this feeling with the affected ones mainly passing my deepest condolences. I have been reluctant and nonchalant to the impact of this pandemic until it hit me close to home.

Problem

The problem with COVID-19 is the expeditious reaction that takes few hours and days to reach death from the time of infection.

This therefore does not give enough time to try several remedies to it and the most critical and painful thing is the isolation that does not allow visitors to ease most of the worries.

In life we have people very closer to us that we fellowship with, party with, braai together, share ideas, celebrate together, cry together, plan together.

Think of that person in life who you would run to when you are desperate for help, the person who would only be excited to help you and expect nothing in return; the person who would wake up in the middle of the night and pray with you and sometimes offer fasting for you. Then COVID-19 quickly takes that person without any signal for suspicion, it becomes so difficult to accept and cope with that.

Let me share a grieving scripture below;

The death of Lazarus

John 11: 35 ‘Jesus wept’

The death of Lazarus was brought for the following lessons related to COVID-19 deaths;

1. Lazarus was a greatest friend

to Jesus when life was normal and

eventually he got very ill; John 11:

3 a word was sent to Jesus because

Lazarus’s sisters knew they were

friends. True friendship is known

by everyone hence you always

get information about sickness

of your friend. Just imagine

getting a call about your close

friend that is covid-19 positive,

eventually admitted and isolated,

and subsequently die.

2. Jesus was not able to attend to the

sickness of his greatest friend John 11: 6. The greatest

pain is to have someone

emotionally connected to you but

unable to make hospital visits

during illness. Due to isolation

requirements all covid-19

patients are not visited.

3. Jesus eventually received sad

news that Lazarus died: John 11:

11. Anyone, can die of COVID-19

just in a short space of time. All

individuals who have experienced

loss of loved ones in this pandemic

can attest to this feeling in

receiving COVID-19 death news.

I suppose and deduce that what made Jesus to weep was the stages highlighted above which are exactly similar to COVID-19 cases.

I am sure if we can all recognise the pain associated with the pandemic, we could just follow the prevention precautions to say at least you contributed towards preventing transmission and self-protection.

Message of hope

Psalm 30:5: “For his anger last only for a minute, but his favour last a lifetime, weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” God be your comforter. Goodbye my friend, until we meet again!