Dwamena, choose life over football!

This is not how a top striker may want to hang his boots and bid an untimely farewell to the beautiful game.

But sometimes, much as one may try to fight off the tempest in the most bravado of styles, nature also has its way of dealing with matters.

It may fair; it might be unfair. But that is nature.

So, it came to pass that one of the nation’s fine strikers – Raphael Dwamena, nearly three weeks ago, collapsed while in action for Blau-Weiß Linz in an Austrian Cup match against Hartberg FC.

The player reportedly clutched his chest in the opening half and slumped onto the turf – battling desperately for survival. Heartily, paramedics on duty salvaged the situation and he was whisked to the hospital for further attention. He survived the scare!

This is not the first time Dwamena had been hit by such a heart-related incident.

In 2019, the striker suffered a new heartbreaking setback to his career as Spanish club Zaragoza detected an unknown heart problem during a routine medical check.

Indeed, this is the third time Dwamena had faced serious health problems – with English side Brighton pulling out of a deal to sign the striker from Swiss side FC Zurich because he failed a medical earlier.

Indeed, he had to stop playing for a while because of the risk of suffering a heart attack.

In 2017, Dwamena’s desire to play in the English premiership fell through because of his heart problem. He had agreed on personal terms with the English Premier League side Brighton and Holves Albion after they had a bid, reported to be around 15m euros (£13.8m), accepted by his Swiss club.

Sadly, Brighton had no choice but to back out and wished Dwamena well, having realised his situation was grave.

This latest incident in Austria must be the strongest possible warning to the player to, perhaps, stay off the game lastingly before it becomes a day late and a dollar short.

Dwamena is said to have been advised to hang up his boots permanently, but after a year, he doggedly decided to throw caution to the wind. Now, a renewed warning has been thrown in.

“After what has happened, Raphael will have to seriously assess his future as a player. He has already realised all this,” Sporting Director of Blau-Weiß Linz, warned.

The former Ghana Red Bull Academy top goal-poacher was called into Black Stars’ 30-man squad for the 2017 African Cup of Nations but was dropped after the squad had been slashed.

Dwamena, however, made his international debut in June 2017 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia, where he scored a brace to mark the new era of youngsters being introduced into the national team. But just as he was being tipped to take over from legend scorer Asamoah Gyan, his heart issue popped up strongly – leaving the national selectors with a Hobson’s choice.

Much as we would have loved Dwamena to recover fully, dash to the field, pick a fine fettle of form and possibly make a triumphant return into the Black Stars, it is limpidly clear, destiny would not allow him any further as medical reports had suggested.

In March 2012, 24-year-old Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba announced his retirement from football, after he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during his club’s FA Cup quarter-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur.

After being discharged from the hospital, Muamba traveled to Belgium to have minor heart surgery, which was said to have been routine and had no bearing on whether the player would return to action.

But Muamba said he received advice during his time there, prompting his retirement.

“Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I had remained utterly positive in the belief that I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again,” said Muamba in a statement.

“As part of my ongoing recovery, I traveled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist. But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football.”

Hope this would serve as timely advice for Dwamena.

Certainly, it was not the way he had envisaged to end his career, but sometimes, that is how hard and unfair life can be. It is a difficult decision to take, especially when the player believes he has lots of energy and football bottled up in his willing body.

Dwamena, it is over to you to choose life over death! Please, choose life – like Muamba did.

PlainTalk with John Vigah