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Ghana striker Dwamena dies after on-pitch collapse  …tributes flow from GFA, AFL, clubs

Ghana striker, Raphael Dwamena, has died aged 28 after collaps­ing on the pitch during a league match in Albania.

Dwamena was playing for Egnatia against Partizani on Sat­urday in the Albania top flight.

“Despite the immediate inter­vention of specialist doctors, he unfortunately passed away,” said the Albanian Football Federation (AFF).

Dwamena was the leading scorer in the Albanian league this season with nine goals. He had won nine caps and scored two goals for his country.

Saturday’s match was aban­doned and the federation has postponed all games scheduled in Albania this week.

“The AFF expresses its deep­est condolences to the Dwamena family and the Egnatia club for this great loss that has shocked the entire Albanian football com­munity,” the federation added.

The Ghana Football Asso­ciation (GFA) said it sent “our deepest condolences to his fami­ly at this difficult moment”.

“He served his country well and showed class any time he represented Ghana,” GFA president, Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, said in a statement.

In 2017 a proposed £14m move to Brighton fell through after Dwamena failed a medical. He went on to represent Levante in La Liga and also played for Real Zaragoza on loan.

In 2021, he collapsed during a cup match in Austria between his side, Blau-Weiss Linz, and Hartberg, but recovered and continued his playing career.

He reportedly had a heart operation and had an automatic defibrillator implanted.

“Our thoughts are with his family and his loved ones in these difficult moments. His leg­acy in our club will last forever,” Levante said on social media.

Zaragoza also paid tribute, saying: “We are devastated by the sad news of the passing of our former player Raphael Dwamena. You will always be in the memory of Zaragoza´s fans. Rest in peace.”

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