Zambia captain Enoch Mwepu’s former coach at senior and junior national teams – Beston Chambeshi is gutted to see the midfielder forced to end his football career by a hereditary heart condition.
Mwepu’s Premier League club Brighton on Monday announced the heart condition, which can worsen over time, would put the player at an extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event, if he were to continue playing competitive football.
In an interview in Kitwe, Chambeshi said talented Mwepu will be missed.
The Nkana coach branded Mwepu as an asset to the nation.
Chambeshi has since asked Mwepu to accept his current health status.
“I received the message with sadness. When you look at the young man, he was one of the most talented players and for sure we needed him as a nation. I even failed to express myself when I heard about the news,” Chambeshi said.
Chambeshi named Mwepu as Chipolopolo’s captain for the first time in their 2-1 win over Mauritania in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in September, 2021.
“If you look at Mwepu, he was an asset to the nation. The boy is disciplined and had a bright future in football but this has come sudden which everyone cannot accept but there is nothing we can do. All I can say is to pray to God that the young man can accept the situation he is in,” he said.
“He was exceptional. He is a chap who can lead the team. When appointment him National Team captain I saw something in him. We will miss the young man,” Chambeshi said.
Chambeshi coached Mwepu when Zambia won the Under-20 Africa Cup on home soil in 2017.
