Harambee Stars defender Swaleh Pamba has dispelled fears over the state of his health, clarifying that his football career remains intact despite being left out of Kenya’s final squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) due to a reported heart concern.
The 23-year-old was excluded from the 25-man squad unveiled on Wednesday, July 30. Head coach Benni McCarthy cited medical assessments that revealed a “slight problem” with Pamba’s heart, prompting the technical team to make a cautious call ahead of the tournament scheduled to run from Saturday, August 2 to August 30.
Though McCarthy did not disclose the full details of the condition, he described it as “delicate” and said the decision to exclude the defender was taken as a precaution until further expert opinion could be obtained regarding the potential impact on his playing career.
However, Pamba has since reassured fans and stakeholders that he is in good health. Speaking to Mozzart Sport in an exclusive interview, the Bandari FC player said, “I am fully okay. I had an appointment with a specialist this morning, and he did not detect anything odd.”
Despite his omission, Pamba has remained in the national team camp and is currently awaiting the outcome of a follow-up test that could determine whether he is fit to return to action.
“I am yet to get the finer details of the latest test, but as it stands, the previous test took precedence, and that is the reason why I was not cleared and effectively dropped,” he explained.
Pamba, who made his senior debut for Kenya in June against Chad, emphasized that he has never had any history of heart issues and revealed that the situation has caused concern among his loved ones.
“It is all God’s plan. I cannot question too much because this was my second time being with the national team, and I looked set to be in the team,” he said. “Normally, I feel a bit disappointed, but this will not be the end of my journey.”