Pitch of death: Footballers losing their lives in action

Soccer Football - Champions League - Sevilla Training - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 7, 2023 General view of the Sevilla players during training Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Source: X03812

Ghanaian footballer Raphael Dwamena, aged 28, met a tragic end during a match in Albania's top league.

He collapsed on the pitch while playing for his club Egnatia. The incident unfolded during a weekend match on November 11.

The cause of death remains undisclosed.

The Official X page of the Ghanaian national team expressing the sadness about the player's passing

While tragic, Dwamena is not the first footballer to have lost his life while playing the beautiful game.

Just this year, there have been similar cases of footballers dying on the football pitch. On February 15, Arne Espeel, a 25-year-old Belgian goalkeeper for Winkel Sport B, collapsed just moments after saving a penalty and was declared dead after being rushed to the hospital.

Official account of football website Barstool Football on X announcing Espeel's death

Croatian youth Martin Filipčić, aged 15, collapsed during a youth league match. After expressing discomfort to the referee, he collapsed while receiving medical attention, succumbing to an undisclosed condition on April 12.

The Croatian Football Federation announcing the demise of Martin Filipčić

36-year-old Brazilian player Deon associated with Bahia de Feira in Brazil, on August 9 collapsed during a training session. Despite immediate resuscitation attempts, paramedics confirmed his death at the training site.

A rival football club of Deon's Bahia de Feira expressing their sadness about the player's passing

These tragedies on the football pitch have been a repetition of history. June 26, marked the 20^th anniversary of the tragic passing of Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé.

The Cameroonian legend on June 26, 2003, aged 28 collapsed and died in the 72nd minute of a FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final match against Colombia.

English side West Ham, a former club of Foe, marking 20 years of his passing in June

As far back as 1989, Samuel Okwaraji of Nigeria, during a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Angola in Lagos, collapsed and died on the field at the age of 25.

The Nigerian Football Federation marked 30 years since Okwaraji's death in 2019

In August 2007, Spanish footballer Antonio Puerta suffered a cardiac arrest, collapsing in the penalty area during Sevilla’s La Liga fixture against Getafe. Puerta tragically lost consciousness and passed away at the age of 22.

Puerta's boyhood club Sevilla honoured him in 2020 after winning an European competition

While these stars were unlucky to have lost their lives on the pitch, a few others have survived after collapsing on the pitch.

Danish footballer Christian Eriksen survived after collapsing on the pitch in an official Euros tournament in June 2021. The midfielder now plays for English side Manchester United in the Premier League.

The heroics of Danish captain Simon Kjær was enough to save the life of Eriksen in 2021

Former English footballer of Congolese descent, Fabrice Muamba also survived a collapse during a game for his club side Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League in 2012.

Although Muamba survived, he could not continue his career after the incident.

Muamba returns to the pitch he almost lost his life on to a crowd of cheers

Edward Sakyi