Sports

Ghanaian striker, Raphael Dwamena collapses during match, dies

Published

1 year ago

November 12, 2023

Ghana international striker, Raphael Dwamena slumped and died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack during a Superliga match between his club, KF Egnatia and Partizani Tirana in Albanian.

The 28-years-old Dwamena collapsed on the pitch in the 24th minute of the game and was treated by the medics on the field before being rushed towards the nearest hospital, but died before the ambulance could get to the hospital.

Dwamena, who was the leading scorer in the Albanian league with nine goals, had ignored advise to quit footfall after he was first diagnosed with a heart defect in 2017.

Dwamena won nine caps for Ghana and was once considered one of the country’s rising stars. He was, in 2017, discovered to have a heart condition when he was on the verge of joining Brighton in the EPL but the deal fell through after he failed a medical.

In 2020, he underwent a heart operation and had an automatic defibrillator implanted to allow him to continue playing.

Following this operation, he had short playing stints in the Danish, Austrian, and Swiss leagues, all against advise from medical doctors, before joining Albanian team, KF Egnatia in January this year.

Even with the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, Dwamena reportedly collapsed in an Austrian Cup match in 2021 and was again told to retire from football if he wanted to stay alive, a warning he once again ignored.

While reacting to the death of the player, the Ghanaian Football Association said in a statement on Sunday:

“The Ghana Football Association is sad to hear of the death of our former player Raphael Dwamena and wish to express our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult moment.”

Two of his former clubs in the Spanish league, Levante and Zaragoza, also took to social media to express their condolences over his death.

“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 X.

Zaragoza also wrote on X:

“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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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

17 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)