Exclusive:Hospitalised Hibs ace gets 'every opportunity' promise as medical exam scheduled following sickness
Food poisoning identified as cause of illness that ripped through Zambia squad
Hibs will give Miguel Chaiwa “every opportunity” to prove his fitness after the midfielder was hospitalised during the international break, as an outbreak of food poisoning ripped through the Zambia squad following their 3-1 defeat away to South Africa. Chaiwa, who fell ill after the loss at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, was one of several members of the travelling party – including head coach Moses Sichone – affected by the sickness.
Chaiwa played almost 80 minutes in the South Africa game, but was ruled out of Wednesday night’s friendly loss in Angola, having only been released from hospital on the day of the game. He was due back in Scotland today.
Hibs boss David Gray, speaking at lunchtime, outlined the medical checks needed – including being weighed in at HTC – before Chaiwa will be cleared to play, explaining: “There was a bit of an illness when Miguel was away; it made a few of them unwell, maybe ten players or something, so it was quite a significant number of players, the coach as well. He's not back yet, but he's due to arrive back today.
“We'll just see how he is off the back of that. Because that was on Saturday, Sunday we found out about that.
“He has had more time to recover, he is getting better, we'll just see how he reacts off the back of that. Obviously, he had that, the travel, everything else that comes with international duty.
Chaiwa ‘will make himself available’ - Gray
“We won’t push him. Knowing Miguel, he'll tell you if he thinks he's got a chance of being available. He'll make himself available, he's that type.
“So we'll just obviously judge it. The physio team, physios and the medical department will all have a look at him to make sure that he’s ready.
“They'll check his weight, check if he feels better. So we certainly won't be taking chances on anybody, but at the same time, we'll give him every opportunity to be involved.”
Chaiwa has become a more than useful squad member since his summer move from Swiss side Young Boys, bringing energy and drive to the middle of the park. He scored his second goal of the season in his club’s 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley just before the international break.
The Zambians made it clear, meanwhile, that they did not suspect foul play on behalf of their opponents, FA spokesman Sydney Mungala saying: “We must mention that obviously, to a layman, contamination could mean that someone might have put something in the food - which is actually not the case. We have engaged the medics and everyone who needs to help us to get to the bottom of this issue. The initial suspicion is that there may have been some element of contamination to the food.
“We are happy that we have received a lot of support from the health authorities and our host association. To make sure everyone who was affected by this problem is getting attention. We are happy for now that this matter has been handled very well.
“The good news is that our midfielder Miguel Chaiwa has now been discharged and is now out of danger. The other members who had mild signs of attack from suspected food poisoning are okay.”
On Sunday, the Zambian FA had released a statement saying: “Moses Sichone, midfielder Miguel Chaiwa and video analyst Elias Chipota have been admitted to hospital following their worsened condition that was aggravated by fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. The Football Association of Zambia is working closely with its host association and the local medical authorities to ensure that the affected receive the best possible medical attention.”