Ghanaian football star collapsed and died on the field

A Ghanaian football star died after he suddenly collapsed during a match in Albania on Saturday.

Raphael Dwamena, who was just 28, played for the Ghana international football team. A cause of death has not been released.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Raphael Dwamena at this difficult time,” the Ghana Football Association said in a statement. “

Raphael represented Ghana wholeheartedly and paid his dues to the country until his unfortunate passing. We will forever miss him for his dedication to the National Coarse.“Rest In Peace Raphael.”

Videos posted to X showed Dwamena drop to the ground before his teammates and opposing players ran to assist him, while an ambulance drove onto the field.

It’s unclear what caused Dwamena to collapse during the 24th minute of the match.

CNN reported that Dwamena had previously collapsed on the pitch in October 2021 during an Austrian Cup match but returned to play.

Dwamena was hospitalized with heart problems after that event, according to the Associated Press.

The match on Saturday was stopped in a 1-1 tie after the incident.

Dwamena played football for teams in Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Denmark, per CNN, and he scored nine goals in the Albanian Super League this season.

Levante, a Spanish soccer club and one of Dwamena’s former teams, released a statement about his passing.

“On behalf of Levante, we would like to express our sincere condolences for the death of our former player, Raphael Dwamena,” the club wrote.