Footballers who died on the pitch have tales of tragedy that are much bigger than any defeat or loss of a lifetime of opportunity to win the game.
These are moments of unbelievable pain, when the delight and excitement of soccer are replaced by the immediate loss of life, and a contest full of cheers has been plunged into deathly silence.
The fall of a player on the pitch, a place where one had sweated and sacrificed to shine, is like a dagger to the heart of any onlooker, player, or relative.
At such times, football reminds us how fragile life is.
This is sorrow literally echoing in the stadiums, teams, and everywhere. These players were running up and down the pitch with energy and enthusiasm now pass on, leaving their families and the world of football trying to come to terms with their absence.
Such losses, the pains of which are too big to be measured, and many an unfinished dream are cut off tragically
This post pays tribute to 10 footballers who died doing what they loved most, playing the game.
1. Marc-Vivien Foé
One of the most sad and known incidents occurred on June 26, 2003, when Foé collapsed during the 72nd minute of a FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final match between Cameroon and Colombia.
It was a surreal moment. Foé had been in the centre circle, and then he just went down without any player near him. It was shocking to the fans, players, and officials alike.
Medics rushed to his side, giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen, in attempts to revive him on the pitch.
After their attempts at revival and a further 45 minutes trying to get his heart going again in the medical center of the stadium, Foé was pronounced dead shortly after.
It was only after his death that an autopsy revealed he was suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder that is known to increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, especially with abrupt physical exertion.
The footballing world was in shock by his passing, and messages of condolences came through every which way. Manchester City retired his number 23 shirt, while Olympique Lyon likewise took his number 17 into retirement, enshrining memories of one who loved the game and played it with passion.
What makes Foé’s story all the more heartbreaking is the fact that his manager, Winfried Schäfer did notice his fatigue and was about to substitute him just minutes before his collapse, but Foé signaled he wanted to continue.
He was determined to play for Cameroon, especially in Lyon, the city where he had so many fond memories.
2. Samuel Okwaraji
Samuel Okwaraji was not only a footballer but a lawyer who had a master’s degree in international law and most importantly a true patriot of his country.
His story touches the hearts of many most especially in Nigeria, where he is still remembered with admiration and sorrow.
Okwaraji collapsed in Lagos with 10 minutes of a 1989 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Angola remaining. The stadium was fully packed with thousands of anxious fans, hoping that Nigeria would qualify for the 1990 World Cup. That day, however, the game took a tragic turn.
Despite immediate medical attention, the 25-year-old died on the field.
An autopsy later showed that he had been suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that saw his heart become enlarged. Okwaraji’s death was a huge blow to Nigerian football, but it also brought out his commitment to his country.
He is once quoted to have said that playing for Nigeria meant more than anything else in the world to him.
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3. Cheick Tioté
Tioté had grown to become a household name in the Premier League, especially for those who were fans of Newcastle United, with his no-nonsense challenges and tireless running in midfield.
He was an Ivorian international star liked by all sets of fans. In total, Tioté received 55 caps for the Ivory Coast and was a member of the nation that won the 2015 African Cup of Nations.
In June 2017, while training with his Chinese club, Beijing Enterprises, Tioté suddenly collapsed on the pitch. Rushed to a hospital, the 30-year-old later that day was pronounced dead due to a heart attack.
His death served again to point to the fragile nature of life, especially within the physical setting of football.
For a tribute, Beijing Enterprises retired the number 24 shirt he had worn.
4. Antonio Puerta
Spanish football was in deep shock with the death of Antonio Puerta in August 2007. During Sevilla’s first La Liga match of the 2007/08 campaign against Getafe, Puerta suddenly collapsed in the penalty area after just 35 minutes into the game.
First, he appeared to recover, being able to walk off the pitch with the help of his teammates. But once in the dressing room, he collapsed again.
He was immediately taken to the Virgen del Rocío hospital in Seville, where he was administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and was given extensive treatment.
It was unfortunate that Puerta died three days later because of multiple organs failing and due to irreversible brain damage caused by the succession of cardiac arrests.
His condition was related to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder related to the sudden death of youngsters who have been athletes.
His death came as a shock to not only Sevilla but the entire football world.
Sevilla and their city rivals, Real Betis, were in unison as they paid their respects to him.
FIFA, following this tragic death of Puerta, used all leverage to ensure that in every stadium staging World Cup qualifiers, a resuscitation room should be provided.
5. Miklós Fehér
To those who love Portuguese football, the sight of Miklós Fehér collapsing in the middle of a live televised match on January 25, 2004, will never be forgotten.
Playing for Benfica against Vitória de Guimarães, Fehér had involvement in the game’s only goal before being shown a yellow card in injury time.
Just a few seconds later, he suddenly bent over in apparent pain and went backward to the ground.
He received immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation from medical staff and was taken to the hospital, but after hours of trying to save him, he was declared dead before midnight.
His cause of death was an official cardiac arrhythmia, a complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Fehér played in almost all the prominent countries around Europe and particularly more popularly in Portugal, sending the football world into mourning.
Benfica retired the number 29 jersey he used as respect to the young player. His death is remembered among the darkest days of the club.
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6. Patrick Ekeng
The tragic death of Ekeng in May 2016, playing for Dinamo București in a Romanian league match, was as heartbreaking as it was shrouded in controversy.
Ekeng had come on as a substitute just seven minutes before collapsing on the pitch. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead two hours later, having been diagnosed with a heart attack.
This tragedy was even more hurtful with the investigation that followed.
It came to light that Ekeng’s ambulance had faulty equipment inside, including medicines that were past their expiration date, and the doctor who was then on duty was charged with manslaughter for not carrying out proper resuscitation efforts.
The case was thus a kind of eye-opener to football clubs all over the world regarding ensuring that proper medical equipment and procedures are in place.
7. Endurance Idahor
The story of Idahor seems to stand as a grisly reminder that tragedy can strike at any time, anywhere.
In 2010, while playing for his Sudanese club Al Merreikh against Alamal Atbara, Idahor collapsed during the match. He was rushed to the hospital in such a tearing hurry that he died in the ambulance.
He was said to have died from circulatory collapse brought on by a heart attack.
When Idahor died, it cut deep not just at his club, but indeed into Nigerian football because he was a talented player who died all too soon.
His story, like so many others, speaks volumes to the capricious and deadly nature of heart conditions in young athletes.
8. Piermario Morosini
On April 14, 2012, Italian footballer Piermario Morosini collapsed during a Serie B match between Livorno and Pescara.
The 25-year-old had had an accident on the pitch whereby he had fallen to the ground and lost consciousness. With immediate medical attendance and the use of a defibrillator on him, he was declared dead before he arrived at the hospital.
The incident was all the more haunting for the fans because just weeks earlier, another footballer named Fabrice Muamba had survived a cardiac arrest during an English FA Cup match.
With Morosini’s death, a fact was stated that players’ health must be protected continuously.
9. Albert Ebossé Bodjongo
Albert Ebossé’s death was one of the most shocking and mysterious in football history. On August 23, 2014, the Cameroonian forward was leaving the pitch after a match in Algeria when he was struck on the head by a projectile thrown from the stands.
He had just scored the only goal for his team, JS Kabylie, in a 2-1 defeat.
The initial reports said the injury came from an object thrown by a fan, but subsequent inquiries showed that something far more sinister may have taken place: Bodjongo may have died from a heavy beating rather than an object that had been thrown at him.
His death led the Algerian Football Federation to suspend all football activities indefinitely, with the case remaining one of the most disturbing examples of violence in football.
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10. Peter Biaksangzuala
The story of Peter Biaksangzuala is tragic and strange.
In an October 2014 Mizoram Premier League match against Chanmari West FC, the Indian footballer playing for Bethlehem Vengthlang FC scored an equalizing goal. Overexcited with that, he tried an acrobatic somersault; it all went wrong.
He landed awkwardly, sustaining serious spinal injuries in that process.
Rushed to the hospital, Biaksangzuala passed away five days later from complications of those injuries. His death was a tragic reminder that even moments of joy on the football field can turn into moments of sorrow.
