CAF’s Medical Committee head, Dr Prince Pamboe, has urged Raphael Dwamena, to consider retiring from football due to recurring heart problems.
Dwamena, who plays for Austrian club BW Linz, recently suffered a setback when he collapsed during a cup game.
The 26-year-old is said to have been rushed to the hospital, leading to the match against Hartberg being called off.
A club statement, however, said the forward was in stable condition and was responding to treatment at a hospital.
The incident is the latest in a string of setbacks suffered by the promising striker, who enjoyed a hugely productive stint in the Austrian topflight in the 2016/17 season.
According to Dr Pamboe, despite the striker’s willingness to continue playing, a bold decision must be taken to bring his career to an end.
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“I would hold talks with him and call a year or two off to investigate what the problem has been,” he told Joy Sports.
“I would be tilted towards wanting to prepare him very well for a beautiful retirement from sports. When some of these things happen, a bold decision has to be taken and I would be keen to prepare him to have a clean and a very good exit point.”
Meanwhile, Dr Pambo believes the Ghanaian striker could still remain in football but not in a playing capacity.
“We can see how he can use the experience he has gathered from playing football to help the same industry – from a technical point or perhaps from an administrative point,” the physician added.
In 2017, a move to Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion did not go through when Dwamena failed a medical after a heart condition was detected.
He underwent surgery to correct the condition and returned to action in January 2020, albeit playing with a defibrillator.
In October last year, his heart condition recurred again, forcing him to spend several months on the sidelines.
Dwamena has since been playing with a defibrillator and only returned to play football again some four weeks ago.
