It was a black Sunday for Indonesian football, as legendary goalkeeper Choirul Huda has died following a mid-game collision with his Persela Lamongan teammate during a league match against Semen Pedang. Choirul Huda who was 38-years-old was rushed to the hospital soon after the collision but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Details of the incident
The tragedy happened when Choirul Huda collided with his team-mate Ramon Rodrigues and Pedang forward Marcel Sacramento in the first half of the game. After winning the game against Semen Pedang players along with their coach Aji Santoso rushed to the hospital to see their dear teammate, but what they saw was a dead Huda.
Persela Lamongan issued a statement after the tragic incident. In the statement, Dr Yudistiro Andri Nugroho said Choirul Huda has suffered major impacts in the chest and the jaw during the collision. Health experts believe that it was the hypoxia caused due to the chest collision which resulted in his death. The doctor also added that initial reports suggested possibilities of a neck and head trauma.
Persela Lamongan also said that thousands of club fans attended a candlelight vigil to honour the deceased goalkeeper. Throughout his career, Choirul Huda has appeared only for Persela Lamongan, and since his debut in 1999, he played more than 500 games for his team.
Choirul Huda: All you need to know
Born on June 02, 1973, Choirul Huda has played exclusively for Persela Lamongan throughout his career which began in 1999. His dedication towards the home team fetched the goalkeeper a new name, "The One Man One Club One Love''.
Huda is now considered one of the legendary footballers in the history of Indonesian football, and he has a huge fan following in all nooks of the nation.
