SOCCER FANS MOURN
THE Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZASPOFA) says it is saddened by the disappointing news of Enock Mwepu’s retirement from football after he was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.
Mwepu’s condition can worsen over time and put him at an extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event, if he were to continue playing competitive football.
ZASPOFA patron Peter Makembo said Mwepu’s retirement from active football would have a negative impact on the Chipolopolo that is seeking to make history by qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the last three editions of the continental championship.
Makembo however noted that Zambians were proud of the young Chipolopolo captain who brought a lot of happiness to the people who were lucky to watch him play.
“This is very heartbreaking. We are saddened as soccer fans because Mwepu as the captain of the Zambia national soccer team is an integral part of the Chipolopolo,” Makembo said.
“The pain we feel is unbearable because our boy is just 24 years and he had so much to achieve in his career after he conquered Zambia to go and play for the best league in world, the English Premier League. That’s not a mean achievement,” he said.
Makembo hailed English Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion for detecting Mwepu’s heart condition early to prevent a fatal accident.
“We are saddened but we know that God is in control and he will have the final say. We know the dangers of playing football with a heart condition. In 2007 we lost Nsofwa Chalwe in Israel after he collapsed during training and when he was taken to the hospital he was pronounced dead that is why we commend Brighton for identifying the problem early before it escalated,” Makembo said.
Makembo is confident that a solution will be found for Mwepu to keep on playing for a few more years.
“We are encouraged by the story of Nwankwo Kanu who underwent a lifesaving open-heart surgery after he was diagnosed with a heart valve defect. There is also the story of Danish international Christian Eriksen who returned to the Premier League eight months after he collapsed on the pitch at football's European Championship.
“The 30-year-old returned after being fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), which can reset the heart after a cardiac arrest therefore we still have hope that Mwepu will bounce back stronger,” Makembo said.