Former Brighton and Hove Albion player Enoch Mwepu has been rushed to the hospital after a sudden illness in his native Zambia.
Mwepu was diagnosed with a strange heart condition late last year and was forced to retire at the age of 24 following the diagnoses.
After joining the Premier League club from Austrian giants RB Salzburg in 2021, Enoch Mwepu had a pretty good start to his Premier League career, but struggled in the second year following a shock medical condition that ruled him out of action.
Following the diagnosis, Enoch Mwepu had to hit the exit door, retiring from both international and club football as his health condition worsened.
Brighton later placed him on a more passive role after his retirement ended his four-year contract with the club, by handing him a coaching role.
Reports from Zambia have confirmed the former Seagulls midfielder is undergoing ‘precautionary checks’ in the hospital.
The Seagulls appointed Mwepu as their Under-9s academy coach in December, two months after he was forced to retire from professional football due to the heart condition.
Brighton released a statement on Sunday ‘in response to media reports’, which claimed Mwepu had been rushed to hospital following a collapse.
It read: ‘The club can provide the following update on Enock Mwepu, in response to media reports.
‘Enock was taken unwell in Zambia and is currently undergoing precautionary checks.
‘Our medical team is in communication with the hospital to assist if required.
‘The club would like to thank the many well-wishers for their messages and support.
‘The club nor Enock wish to provide any further comment at this stage.’
Enoch Mwepu
Born on January 1, 1998, in Lusaka, Zambia, Enoch Mwepu is a former Zambia international and Brighton under-9 manager.
Enoch Mwepu started his football career, playing for NAPSA stars between 2016 and 2017. In 2017, he moved to Kafue Celtic, before joining RedBull Salzburg.
Mwepu played for Red Bull Salzburg for four years from 2017 to 2021. He made 81 appearances for the Austrian giants, scoring 11 goals. In the 2017/18 football season, he was sent on a season-long loan spell to Liefering, where he made 26 appearances, scoring 6 goals.
On 6 July 2021, Enoch Mwepu joined Brighton for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract. He made 24 appearances for the Premier League club, scoring 4 goals.
In 2022, his football career hit a downturn. He had a slow with Brighton and was later diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition that forced him to retire from football.
National team stats
Enoch Mwepu rose fast through the ranks of Zambian football. He played for Zambia U-17 in 2017, and transitioned to the U-20 between 2017 and 2018, making 8 appearances, and scoring 3 goals.
Still, in 2017, he made his Zambia senior national team debut at the age of 18. He made 23 appearances for the team, scoring 6 goals before calling time on his career.
Enoch Mwepu has won the Austrian Bundesliga, and Austrian Super Cup with RedBull Salzburg, including the Africa U-20 Championship with the Zambia U-20.
After his retirement from football, Brighton announced him as their new under-9s coach on December 30, 2022. He resumed his coaching role in January 2023.
