Why Raphael Dwamena refused to retire despite heart problems
The football world is currently mourning the passing of Raphael Dwamena, who tragically collapsed and died during a league game in Albania.
The Ghana striker passed away at the age of 28 while featuring in a game between FK Egnatia and Partizani on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Play was stopped and the match was eventually suspended when Dwamena abruptly fell to the ground and fell unconscious.
His teammates quickly called for the medics to attend to him, but they were unable to resuscitate the former Red Bull Salzburg forward.
In a 2020 interview with El Periodico De Aragon, the footballer said he aimed to play football for a long time despite his recurring heart condition.
He explained that he believed God was with him and would take care of his heart, and that his faith made him unafraid.
“Obviously, it was not a good feeling to have to leave football, it was a hard blow to stop playing at that time. But I knew that I would play again because God is always faithful and is always with me,” Dwamena said in the interview three years ago.
“Taking the news was not a problem. And the media will publish everything they hear, that’s not something new, it always happens.
“At all times. I always feel like nothing is wrong with me. I believe that God is the one who takes care of my heart. I may have symptoms of heart problems or other things, but I am never afraid. God is with me.”
He added: “Each doctor has his own opinions and I respected them, I looked for different evaluations. I respect their roles and jobs, but my wish was to get back to playing and do everything possible to achieve it.”
Before his death, Dwamena’s most recent setback came in 2021 when he collapsed while playing in a cup game for the Austrian club BW Linz.
He was rushed to the hospital after the incident, leading to the match against Hartberg being called off.
Despite being a promising striker, who enjoyed a hugely productive stint in the Austrian topflight in the 2016/17 season, Dwamena’s career was often held back by his heart condition.
In 2017, a move to Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion fell through when he failed a medical after a heart condition was detected.
He underwent surgery to correct the condition and returned to action in January 2020, but had since been playing with a defibrillator.
There were calls for Dwamena to retire from football due to his recurring heart condition but the striker often insisted he was keen on playing as long as he was medically fit to do so.
Source: PulseGhana
