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<\/div>\nThe cardiologist of late Raphael Dwamena has revealed that, the striker\u00a0chose to have his defibrillator removed a year before he collapsed and died on the pitch.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old passed away on Saturday\u00a0after a cardiac failure during an Albanian league game while playing for\u00a0KF Egnatia against\u00a0Partizani in the 24th minute.<\/p>\n
Dwamena was rushed to the hospital but he could not be revived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Dwamena\u2019s cardiologist, Dr Antonio Asso, has since opened up on the player\u2019s heart condition.<\/p>\n
He said Raphael had a \u2018serious\u00a0ventricular arrhythmia\u2019 so they implanted a defibrillator to kept him alive.<\/p>\n
However, Dr. Asso said the footballer made a \u2018personal decision\u2019 to remove it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe died as a result of a respectable personal decision but if the defibrillator had not been removed, Raphael would still be alive\u201d Asso told Spanish outlet\u00a0Sport.<\/p>\n
Speaking of the player\u2019s initial discovery of a heart problem, he explained how he advised the player to quit professional football and how the defibrillator had saved his life on one occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe managed to convince him of the imperative need to implant a defibrillator to at least guarantee his life, at the same time that we advised against practising professional sports,\u201d\u00a0he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple of years ago they told me that the defibrillator had saved his life when he had a malignant arrhythmia that had been correctly treated automatically by the device. We subsequently lost contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From that moment on, I was aware that one day the tragedy that occurred on Saturday on a soccer field in Albania would happen\u201d Dr. Asso bemoaned.<\/p>\n
He called Dwamena a \u2018great and noble boy\u2019 and said he was \u2018determined to follow his professional career\u2019 but \u2018ended hope of influencing him\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dwamena, this season\u2019s top scorer with nine goals in the Albanian Super League, made eight appearances for Ghana and scored twice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He signed for Levante in 2018 and played one season before being loaned out to Zaragoza, where he played in 2019-20. His\u00a0career also included stints in Spain, Denmark and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
An official statement from the Ghana FA following his death read: \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Albanian authorities are investigating what led to the death of the striker. Raphael Dwamena made 9 appearances for the Black Stars and scored twice.<\/p>\n
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