Five major questions that have come up since Raphael Dwamena’s death

The recent wave of bad news relative to the death of Ghanaian football stars hit a new level on Saturday, November 11, 2023, when Ghanaian footballer, Raphael Dwamena passed on while playing football during a football match between his side FC Egnatia and Partizani in the Albanian league.

With the fraternity still grappling with the unexpected demise of Asante Kotoko heroes, Joe Debrah and Robert Eshun, the exit of the 28-year-old Dwamena has furthered the woes and grief within the football family.

The death of Dwamena has however spurred a number of questions from Ghanaians and football followers with knowledge of his situation demanding answers over a number of questions.

Here are five of the questions highlighted by GhanaWeb:

When was his heart issue discovered

Raphael Dwamena was on his way to incredible career success until a medical issue at Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion in August 2017.

The team had agreed on a deal with FC Zurich for Dwamena’s signature but pulled the plug on the deal after discovering an anomaly in his heart condition.

Dwamena, subsequently, underwent treatment and signed for Spanish side Levante in 2018.

Why did he keep playing despite the heart condition

Raphael Dwamena was not the only player with conditions about his heart that still went on to play football. Danish player, Eriksen and former Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu are just two of many examples.

Raphael Dwamena kept on playing football despite the condition after undergoing successive treatments.

It is believed that Dwamena was playing with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that controlled his situation and allowed him to enjoy his game.

Did he remove the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Following his death, reports have emerged that Raphael Dwamena might have removed the defibrillator that controlled his heart.

Dan Kwaku Yeboah disclosed on Peace FM that during an interview with an Albanian television station, it was disclosed to him that Dwamena removed the machine that was controlling his heart.

A report by Ghanasoccernet also indicated that Dwamena removed the defibrillator.

What did he say about his heart condition

Dwamena knew about his condition but believed that the Lord was going to keep him alive.

The 28-year-old was a staunch Christian and believed that the blessings and mercies of the Lord were going to keep alive.

He expressed, "I am not afraid because God is with me. When I came here, I made visits, and everything turned out well. Even before I came here to Switzerland, I was fine." Dwamena's unshakable belief in God's presence and guidance allowed him to face life's challenges with courage and acceptance.”

What is his family saying

His mother, father, and sister have so far spoken on his demise. In separate interviews on Onua TV and Peace FM respectively, his family paid tribute to him and urged Ghanaians to pray for him.

His father, Patrick Amoako Sefa said on Peace FM “We’ve been crying and wailing since we heard the news but we trust in the Lord to keep us strong.”

His mother on Onua TV said “ I spoke to Nana Kwame on Thursday,” she told host Captain Smart, adding that the footballer was the type in constant touch with his family.

“He talks to me all the time on a video call,” she said.

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