In a heart-wrenching development, Raphael Dwamena, the former Black Stars striker, met an untimely demise on November 11, 2023. The 28-year-old suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during a league match in the Albanian First Tier National Football Super League between Egnatia and Partizani.
Dwamena’s journey was marked by persistent heart issues, with his struggles first surfacing in 2017, leading to the collapse of a potential transfer to English club Brighton & Hove Albion. Despite facing adversity, he pressed on, even opting for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in January 2020.
However, his battles with his health persisted, leading to interruptions in his career with clubs like Vejle and an alarming collapse during an Austrian Cup game in 2021. The tragic climax occurred on the football field, as Dwamena couldn’t be revived after the cardiac arrest, passing away on his way to Kavajë Hospital.
The news sent shockwaves through the football community, prompting the suspension of all football and sports events in Albania as the world mourns the loss of a resilient player who defied the odds until his final moments.