Ghanaian international striker Raphael Dwamena died of a heart attack on Saturday, November 11, in the middle of a match during the Albanian championship match between his club Egnatia Rrogozhine and Partizani, according to a press release from the Albanian Football Association.
“The emergency services present near the lawn rushed him to the hospital where the attacker died at the age of 28“, said the Albanian Football Association.
Raphael Dwanema, top scorer with nine goals in the league in which his club leads, played for Red Bull Salzburg. He was considered a major talent in Ghanaian football at the start of his career and has had numerous heart problems. He was unable to sign for the club from Brighton in England in 2017 after heart problems were diagnosed during a medical examination.
The player underwent heart surgery in 2020. A defibrillator was implanted which allowed him to continue his career. After this intervention, Dwanema was able to play in Denmark, Austria and Switzerland before coming to play in Albania in 2023.
In tribute to him, his former club, FC Zürich, published a photo of the player in black and white on the first page of his website. “FC Zurich mourns Raphael Dwamena“, it is written. “Rest in peace, you will always be one of us“.
The Federation has decided to stop all championship matches on Saturday in memory of Raphael Dwanema “loved football more than his life”notes Endi Tufa, an Albanian football analyst.
