Brighton midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire from football at the age of 24 because of a hereditary heart condition, BBC Sport reports.

The Premier League club said Mwepu would be at an “extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event” if he continued playing.

Mwepu had recently fallen ill on a trip with the Zambia national team to Mali. He was unable to train after arriving in West Africa last month and spent four days in hospital.

Mwepu had tests on his return to England and Brighton said the results meant the “only option” was for him to retire.

“These tests have concluded that his illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening,” Brighton said in a statement.

“Sadly, this can be exacerbated by playing sport so Enock has been advised that the only option, for the sake of his own safety, is for him to stop playing football.”

Mwepu said he was retiring with “sadness”, adding he had lived his dream by reaching the Premier League but that “some dreams come to an end”.

“This is, however, not the end of my involvement in football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity,” he said in a statement on Twitter

The versatile player joined Brighton from Red Bull Salzburg on a four-year deal for a fee reported to be £18m in July 2021.

He scored three goals in 27 appearances for the club and last played in the 5-2 win over Leicester City in September.

Brighton’s head of medicine and performance Adam Brett said: “It is a terrible blow for Enock, but he has to put his health and his family first and this is the right choice, however difficult it is to quit the game he loves.

“Given this is Enock’s career and a decision which can’t be taken lightly, we have taken our time to be as thorough as possible, completed advanced cardiac investigations and collaborated with clinical experts to gain the best second opinions for Enock.

“We will be helping him make sure the condition is managed with the appropriate treatment for him to otherwise live a long and healthy life.”

Mwepu’s younger brother Francisco, 22, is also a professional footballer for Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Heart problems affecting professional athletes are unusual but not unheard of.

Manchester City’s all-time record goalscorer Sergio Aguero retired from football aged 33 after experiencing chest discomfort, less than six months after joining Barcelona.

Former Manchester United defender Daley Blind was diagnosed with a heart condition in December 2019 but returned to playing after having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted.

Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen also has an ICD fitted following his cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020.

Fabrice Muamba collapsed when his heart stopped during a game in 2012, while Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe died after collapsing during an international match in France in 2003.

Brighton Enock Mwepu

Baller, all the best in your future endeavours @EnockMwepu45 @FAZFootball will miss such a great talent. pic.twitter.com/YIrmflz0Ii

— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) October 11, 2022

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Sierra Leone keeper Mohamed Kamara has switched attention to club football after the International break.

Kamara says he is excited and can’t wait to help Horoya AC when they face ASEC Mimosas in the CAF Champions League second-round first-leg preliminary on Sunday.can’t

The 20-time Guinean champions will be away to Ivorian giant Asec Mimosa in the preliminary second-round first leg at the Municipal Stadium in Yamoussoukro.

Kamara, who has been named in Horoya’s 25-man squad for their trip to Ivory Coast, is expected to make his third appearance in the CAF Champions League competition.

“I am excited and looking forward to our match against Asec. I am pleased to be selected among the 25-man squad for the trip,” Kamara told FSL News.

“A big opportunity for me because the CAF Champions League is the biggest for African clubs. To make the squad, I am grateful to God.

“I am looking forward to making my CAF Champions League debut with Horoya AC. If selected, I’ll grab the chance on Sunday.”

Since joining the club, Kamara has made two appearances for Horoya in the first edition of the West Africa Champions Cup played at the Yorokoguia sports complex in August.

The Sierra Leone International Mohamed Kamara made his Horoya AC debut in a 2-1 win over Djoliba AC in the opener of the West Africa Champion’s Cup on Sunday, August 21.

The Sierra Leonean sensation of the 2021 African Cup of Nation joined Horoya Athletic Club on a two-year deal in May 2022.

Sierra Leone keeper @n_kamara1 could make his @HACofficiel @CAF Champions League debut against @ASECMimosas on Sunday.

Stade de Yamoussoukro to host the preliminary second-round first leg.#SaloneTwitter #SierraLeone #AfricanFootball #AfricanTwitter pic.twitter.com/OUxxhVuwIw

— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) October 6, 2022

Read related https://old.footballsierraleone.net/2022/08/22/horoya-debut-for-keeper-mohamed-kamara-in-win-

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The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) have reopened the bidding process for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

The decision was taken on Saturday, October 1, in Algeria on the back of the decision to strip Guinea of the hosting rights.

Meanwhile, CAF has extended its best wishes to all five teams that have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

CAF wishes Senegal, Tunisia, Ghana, Morocco and Cameroon all of the best in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Recap – In 2014, CAF awarded the 2019 tournament to Cameroon, the 2021 event to Ivory Coast and the 2023 edition to Guinea. 

Then Egypt replaced Cameroon for 2019 with CAF shifting the calendar, awarding the 2021 edition to Cameroon, which was held this year, and the 2023 edition to Ivory Coast. 

Guinea had then agreed to organise the 2025 edition. This is also a severe blow to Guinea.

Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who came to power in a coup in September 2021, had expressed his firm intention to honour the commitment to hosting.

The event was always going to be a significant challenge for one of the world’s poorest countries, which is sorely lacking in infrastructure, sports facilities and transportation.

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