February 29, 2016 By Sahr Morris Jr.
Swedish champions IFK Norrkoping last Friday confirmed that Sierra Leonean striker Alhaji Kamara has been ruled out for the rest of the 2016 league season due to heart defect.
With Norrkoping set to compete in the qualifiers for next season’s UEFA Champions League, the forward underwent a mandatory heart examination which is required by UEFA, with the diagnosis showing defective heart.
“A cardiac assessment was conduct according to UEFA requirements, which is mandatory before the Champions League season. It was during the test we found a discrepancy in the coronary arteries of Alhaji Kamara,” the club stated on their website.
“The deviation in the coronary arteries of Alhaji Kamara is uncommon and he is presently a high risk of a sudden cardiac death during extreme exertion. All the experts have advised against him continuing playing football especially this season.”
However, more tests are expected to be conducted to see if an operation could be done to repair the defect, before a decision will be made as to whether the forward should quit the game.
The 21-year-old striker expressed frustration over the sad news: “It’s not something I expected and it is absolutely not how I wanted it to end. Further examination is planned to determine if an operation is possible and what it would mean in terms of risk and prognosis.”
Kamara last season scored six goals in 14 appearances to help Norrkoping win the Allsvenskan.