A champion football player who wanted to play in the UPL died during a match at the age of 28. The moment of the tragedy was caught on video

Maksym Inshakov News12.11.2023 16:19

The player had heart problems.

The famous Ghanaian striker of the Egnatia football club Raphael Dwamena died on Saturday, November 11, after he collapsed in the Albanian championship match against Partizan. The 28-year-old Ghanaian national team player was taken to the hospital, but he could not be saved.

In the 23rd minute of the match, Dwamena suddenly collapsed.

Teammates and medical staff tried to provide first aid on the spot, after which the player was taken to the hospital.

A champion football player who wanted to play in the UPL died during a match at the age of 28. The moment of the tragedy was caught on video

According to Albanian media, citing doctors, Dwamena's heart stopped on the field. During transportation to the hospital, he showed signs of life, but after arriving at the emergency room, he suffered another stroke, which proved fatal.

The striker was known for his heart problems, which previously prevented him from continuing his career at Brighton.

It was in August 2017 that Rafael was very close to realizing his dream of moving to the English Premier League. "Brighton had agreed with Zurich (then Dwamena's former team) on his transfer, but everything was interrupted when medical tests revealed heart problems. Thus, the footballer stayed in Zurich, with whom he became a champion in the Challenge League.

Despite the disappointing results of the examination, Dwamena continued to play football and in August 2018 moved to Spanish side Levante for €6.2 million.

October 2019 dealt a big blow to his career. After new medical examinations, doctors suggested that Dwamena give up football immediately. However, he continued to play after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in January 2020.

After that, the Ghanaian's career will continue in Denmark, at FC Vejle. After making his debut with a goal in 2020, he played four more games before doctors ruled him out of the squad due to heart problems.

Despite doctors' concerns, the Ghanaian did not give up football. He returned to Austria, signing a contract with Blau Weiss Linz on June 25, 2021. However, two months later, Dwamena experienced his first real shock. He collapsed on the field during an Austrian Cup match against TSV Hartberg and was hospitalized.

"God has always had a good opinion of me," Dwamena said at the time, explaining that the incident was caused by a malfunctioning ICD. Even doctors at the time confirmed that such blows were not life-threatening, although it was best for him not to play football anymore.

But the love and passion for the No. 1 sport made him not to leave the sport. In 2022, the device was removed and the footballer continued to play without it.

"I no longer have any trust in this technology. I take all the risk, if something happens, it will be my fault," he said in an interview at the time. In August of the same year, Dwamena was on a viewing tour of Luhansk's Zorya.

In January 2023, Dwamena signed a contract with a small club in the Swiss fifth division, BSC Old Boys. There he scored eight goals in 11 matches before coming to Albania.