Defiant defender follows passion for football despite medical advice after three faints
Reading Time: 11min | Tue. 24.03.26. | 09:57
The former Mara Sugar FC defender opens up on why he is willing to risk it all and return to competitive football against medical advice
Fredrick Ng’iela knows the risk.
One mistimed heartbeat on the football pitch and it could be his last.
He has fainted three times in the full glare of his former teammates, battled recurring chest discomfort, heard and read stories of players either succumbing or being forced into premature retirement by various heart conditions.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
Yet, six months after a cardiologist warned him that continuing to play could potentially cost him both his career and his life, he remains entangled in the game he believes he was born to play.
Fear does not haunt the battle-hardened defender, nicknamed Winkler by his peers.
Conceding goals, poor positioning, rush tackles, red cards, dropping points, missing from set pieces, or falling short in his career are what terrify him the most.
“Are you not afraid of death? Are you not afraid of becoming another name in the grim statistics of players who ignored doctors’ advice, only to pay for it with their lives?”
Those were the two unsettling questions I posed to Ng’iela, as I sought to understand why he was reluctant to hang up his boots, despite repeated warnings from medical practitioners that playing on was akin to digging his own grave.
In October 2025, Doctor George Otieno, a cardiologist at Kijabe Hospital, diagnosed him with cardiomyopathy—a progressive disease that weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood.
Dr. Otieno’s findings came as Ng’iela stood on the cusp of the 2025–2026 season, which would have been his second in Kenya’s top tier and his sixth with Mara Sugar Football Club.
What should have been a moment of promise quickly unravelled.
Acting on medical advice, the club froze him out, unwilling to risk the potentially life-threatening consequence of allowing him back onto the pitch.
But some forces are difficult to tame, and Ng’iela stubbornly carries one.
The passion that has defined him since his days as an under-12 rookie at Oyugis All Stars Youth Development Academy continues to burn—steady, defiant, and impossible to ignore.
It has since drawn him back to his boyhood club, Oyugis Combined FC, in full defiance of medical advice.
Quitting, in his view, would not merely mean safeguarding his health; it would mean surrendering the very thing that has shaped him and gives his life purpose.
The possibility of collapsing on the pitch, he admits, does not scare him nearly as much as the idea of never playing again.
Although the condition has forced him to step away from competitive football, his faith now gives him the courage to lace up his boots once more and pursue his career next season—risks and medical advice notwithstanding.
"I am not afraid of death at all, for it is inevitable. Whether I retire or carry on with football, I cannot avoid death. For me, I am better off dying doing what I love—and that is football.
I understand the risks, and that is why I want to carry on from next season. The passion for the game is still fresh in me, and I believe I will overcome everything and play it again at the competitive level," said Ng'iela.
Is this a story of faith standing firm against medical advice?
The 28-year-old does not dismiss the doctors’ findings. He understands them and the potential risks.
.jpg)
But he clings to faith and the quiet reassurance he draws from the progress he continues to make while training with his boyhood club—both of which convince him that his journey is not over.
"I have always taken medical advice seriously. I have never missed an appointment with the cardiologist, team doctor or physiotherapist.
However, I am a man of faith, and I believe God will protect me and guide me until I achieve my career goals. I refuse to be defined or slowed by a condition," he added.
When his heart skipped the first beat
Long before Dr. Otieno fully uncovered the anomaly in Ng'iela's heart, the warning signs had already begun to test his resolve.
He vividly recalls the first major scare during the 2022-2023 season, when he fainted during a training session at the club's base in Enoosaen area, Narok County.
Prior to that incident, he remembers experiencing discomfort in his chest whenever he engaged in intense physical activity without a proper warm-up, a signal he initially tried to push aside.
The Virgil Van Dijk admirer displayed remarkable resilience, overcoming occasional chest hiccups to help his club secure promotion to the National Super League (NSL) in the same season.
However, his fortunes took another hit when he fainted for the second time during a training session in the 2023–2024 season, but that did not stop him from fighting tooth and nail to inspire the Sugarmen to automatic promotion to the top tier.
Fredrick Ng'iela Unfortunately, the fainting spells did not stop there.
After a third collapse in the previous season (2024-2025), both Ng'iela and the club had initiated a process of medical intervention, which began with pausing his participation in competitive football at the end of the campaign.
Ultimately, his last appearance came in the Mozzart Bet Cup third-place playoff, where Mara Sugar faced Murang'a Seal on 29 June 2025 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
"Before the cardiologist invited me into his office at Kijabe Hospital to deliver the bad news, I had silently battled chest problems for three years. I remember the issues began when we (Mara Sugar FC) were still playing in the FKF Division One League.
During training sessions, I would occasionally struggle to catch my breath, especially if I had not warmed up properly.
It was truly a source of worry for me, but I decided to carry on. It was only after repeated incidents of fainting that I, with the support of the club, began seeking answers from medical specialists," he narrated.
Armed with prayers and hope for positive results, Ng'iela made his first stop at Oasis Hospital in Kisii, alongside Mara Sugar FC team doctor David Lekishon, where electrocardiogram (ECG) tests were conducted.
Determined to obtain a second opinion-and eliminate all his doubts- he visited Kijabe, before proceeding to the Aga Khan Hospital, where a cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan was conducted.
Although findings at Kisii were encouraging, scans conducted at Kijabe and Aga Khan exposed the condition that Dr. Otieno relied on to arrive at the conclusion that intense physical activity, including football, would do more harm than good to the former Greenland Soccer FC player.
He says, no words could ever truly capture how shattered he felt when Dr. Otieno delivered his diagnosis and proceeded to advise him to retire from football.
Overwhelmed and struggling to process the devastating news, Ng’iela turned to the warmth and comfort of his wife, Mercy Pessian, seeking solace in a phone call before beginning the difficult journey back home.
"I was deeply disappointed with the outcome of the entire process as well as the cardiologist's verdict. I do not know whether I will ever be able to find the right words to describe the moment.
After composing myself, I shared the news with my wife, who did the best she could to encourage me. When my teammates learnt of it later, they also offered a shoulder to lean on," he opened up.
Mara's touch of class
In recognition of the risks associated with going against medical advice, and from a humanitarian point of view, the Mara Sugar FC management began preparing the man who heavily draws inspiration from Harambee Stars assistant captain Joseph Okumu, for life away from football.
The club enrolled him at the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT), Kisii Campus, for a short plant operator course.
As confirmed by the player, the club has not only honoured its part of the bargain by paying his school fees, but has also continued to pay his monthly salary despite his absence from the pitch.
Though he is fairly equipped for life post-football, Ng'iela insists that retiring from the game is a thought that is yet to cross his mind.
"I would be a hypocrite if I failed to acknowledge what the club has done for me since I stopped playing. I honestly could not have asked for better treatment and support as I am almost finishing my course.
They promised me, in front of my family members, to pay my salary, and they have not failed. Regarding whether to retire, I have been advised by many people to do it, but I am determined to pursue my dreams," he affirmed.
Paying school fees and a monthly salary is not the only form of support the club extended to the defender, who was one of the longest-serving players until the condition left him unable to continue playing.
Club Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Ommala revealed that the outfit has also been dipping into its coffers to fund counselling sessions, helping him come to terms with the unfortunate turn of events.
“The club facilitated his return to a school of his choice to allow him to focus on his education and long-term future beyond football.
Additionally, the club arranged therapy and counselling sessions for the player and his family to help them come to terms with the situation and plan the best way forward.
Following these discussions, it was mutually agreed that returning to school would be the most appropriate step for the player’s well-being and future.
As part of ensuring a smooth and humane transition, the club continued to pay his salary for the remainder of the year despite him not actively serving the team.
This was done in good faith to support him financially as he transitioned from professional football to his academic pursuits,” said Ommala, who has served as the club’s CEO since July 2024.
Why Ng'iela is ready to risk it all
“If a man has not found something he will die for, he is not fit to live.” These powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. perfectly encapsulate the undying magnetic pull between Ng’iela and football.
For him, the pitch is more than just a field—it is an avenue where his dream must be realised, no matter the cost.
Two goals drive him with a fire few can understand: the honour of representing his country and the chance to transform the lives of those he deeply loves.
From the very first day he kicked the ball in a structured setup, he set out with three dreams—and he has already conquered one.
.jpg)
The 2024–2025 season saw him rise to the Kenyan top tier, a milestone earned through years of sacrifice, sweat, and unwavering belief.
His heart now beats for the ultimate honour: wearing the Harambee Stars jersey consistently, carrying the pride and hope of a nation with every touch of the ball.
But his resolve is not only about success on the pitch.
Every tackle, every sprint, every drop of sweat represents the promise—to uplift both his nuclear and extended families to financial freedom.
"When I began playing football, I set out three goals: To play in Kenya's top division, for the senior national team and uplift my family from poverty.
I have so far achieved one, and I believe I can accomplish the rest. This pushes me a lot of times, and the resolve is just as fresh as it was in 2008 when I started out," said the Agoro Sare Secondary School old boy.
Inspiration from a survivor
While those around him continue to urge caution and strict adherence to medical advice, Ng’iela clings to a quiet and stubborn belief that his story is not over.
In search of reassurance, he turned to someone who has successfully walked a similar path for inspiration.
John Otieno, a no-nonsense central defender with Nairobi United, had faced his own career-threatening battle with a heart condition and has since lived to tell the tale.
Otieno was diagnosed with Heart Arrhythmia in 2022, during his second stint at Kakamega Homeboyz, a moment that abruptly cast doubt over his future in the game.
Doctors strongly advised him to step away from football, warning of the risks tied to continued competition, but he decided to hang on.
.jpg)
John Otieno and referee Brooke PhilipsThe former national U20 team defender would take a three-month-long break before falling for the game again.
Otieno went on to feature for Ulinzi Stars in the second leg of the 2023–2024 campaign, before crossing over to 2009 league champions Sofapaka, where he played in the first leg of the 2024–2025 season.
The Nakuru-born player later switched to Nairobi United in February 2025, captaining the side to National Super League (NSL) glory as well as a historic triumph in the Mozzart Bet Cup.
It is this resurgence and success that Ng’iela now hopes to mirror as he plots his own comeback.
"Our conditions might be different, but the resolve and determination Otieno showed on his journey back to competitive football is what motivates me.
I have reached out to him for advice and to better understand how he handled his situation. If he overcame it, I am confident I will too,” he said.
When contacted, Otieno acknowledged that he has been in touch with his fellow defender, pledging to help him navigate the difficult phase of his life.
“He reached out after learning that I had overcome a condition that nearly cut my career short. I have been encouraging him and linking him with specialists who helped me through mine. I underwent thorough tests and treatment in 2022, before a cardiologist finally cleared me to play.
It was neither easy nor cheap, but I believe that with his determination, he will pull through,” said the former Kariobangi Sharks player.
FIFA, CAF medical guidelines
Mozzart Sport reached out to a cardiologist and a seasoned sports medicine professional, but all declined to provide insights, citing a lack of consent and possible legal implications of commenting on a patient they had not personally treated.
However, both FIFA and CAF provide extensive guidelines regarding athletes who have experienced heart issues and the conditions under which they may return to play.
Although there are no specific guidelines on cardiomyopathy, CAF bars athletes from participating in sanctioned activities if they are declared medically unfit.
Subsequently, all players featuring in CAF matches undergo mandatory and thorough cardiac assessment to eliminate risks.
"Any player declared medically unfit after the Pre-Competition Medical Examination (including the Pre-Competition Cardiac Assessment ) shall be declared ineligible to participate in the competition," reads an extract of CAF medical eligibility guidelines.
Just like CAF, FIFA players only take to the pitch after obtaining clearance from a sports cardiologist.
“In order to prevent players from experiencing sudden cardiac death during matches, and to protect players’ health, each Participating Member Association shall ensure that its players undergo a pre‑competition medical assessment prior to the start of the competition and inform FIFA accordingly," reads an extract of Medical/Doping guidelines from Zurich.