A new update from TP Mazembe’s official social media page indicates that the soccer player is currently alive and battling for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Contrary to earlier reports of his death, the Zambian legend is still fighting for his life, as clarified by his former club’s social media account.
Tru News Report previously shared that Rainford Kalaba had died in Lusaka due to a ghastly accident he had near Kafue S Corners along the Great North Road.
The accident involved the Mercedes Benz he was travelling in with an unidentified female driver, who also lost her life, colliding with a Howo truck horse bearing registration number AIC 805 and trailer number BAC 9540.
According to the Zambia Police, “Preliminary investigations indicate that the accident occurred as a result of improper overtaking by the Benz car, leading to a collision with the oncoming truck.”
His club TP Mazembe had earlier shared the sad news on X saying:
Go in peace our “Maestro”. What a loss! Rainford KALABA did not survive a traffic accident this Saturday April 13 in Zambia between Kafwe and Lusaka.
However, this new update shared by his team says thus:
We just heard from the medical team that took on Maestro Rainford KALABA. Declared dead by the emergency services who received the former TPM player victim of a serious traffic accident, the doctors who received him have just placed him in an artificial coma but his situation is critical
In October 2013, a dispute between TP Mazembe, the club of Kalaba, and the Zambian Football Association led to a disagreement over international call-ups.
Consequently, Kalaba, along with Nathan Sinkala and Stoppila Sunzu, became the target of a Zambian arrest warrant.
Subsequently, the Zambian immigration authorities confiscated their passports, but they were later pardoned by the Zambian government.
In June 2017, Kalaba reached a milestone of 100 international appearances when he played against the Mozambique national football team.
However, he was substituted during a 1-0 defeat and faced criticism from national team manager Wedson Nyirenda for hastily returning to the dressing room instead of supporting his teammates.
Nyirenda believed that Kalaba needed to be disciplined.
During the autumn of 2017, Kalaba was not included in the squads for the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches against the Algeria national football team and the Nigeria national football team.
