Raphael Dwamena Biography
Raphael Dwamena was a Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs in Europe and Africa. He also represented Ghana at the international level, scoring two goals in nine appearances.
He passed away on 11 November 2023 at the age of 28, after collapsing on the pitch during a league match in Albania. He had a history of heart problems and had undergone surgery in 2020.
He was the leading scorer in the Albanian league this season with nine goals. He is remembered as a talented and hardworking player who served his country well.
Raphael Dwamena Age
Raphael Dwamena was 28 years old when he died.
Raphael Dwamena Early Life and Background
Raphael Dwamena was born in Nkawkaw, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana, on 12 September 1995. He grew up in a football-loving family and developed a passion for the game at an early age. He played and trained with the Red Bull Ghana developmental program, which was affiliated with the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg.
He showed great potential and talent as a young player and participated in several international tournaments. In 2013, he helped the Red Bull Ghana U17 team to a silver medal performance at the International Tournament in Croix, France. He was named the tournament’s best player and attracted the attention of scouts from Europe.
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Raphael Dwamena Career
Dwamena began his career as a youth player at Red Bull Ghana, a developmental program affiliated with the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg. He showed great potential and talent as a young player and participated in several international tournaments. In 2013, he helped the Red Bull Ghana U17 team to a silver medal performance at the International Tournament in Croix, France, and was named the tournament’s best player. He joined the Salzburg youth team in January 2014 and impressed with his goal scoring abilities.
In July 2014, Dwamena was promoted to FC Liefering, the Salzburg farm team playing in the Austrian Football First League. He made his professional debut on 18 July and scored his first professional goal on 18 September 2015. He played 27 games and scored six goals for Liefering before moving to Austria Lustenau in 2016. He enjoyed a successful half-season with Lustenau, scoring 18 goals in 20 games, before his transfer to FC Zürich on 27 January 2017.
He made an immediate impact at his new club by scoring 12 goals in 18 matches, helping Zürich to win the 2016–17 Swiss Challenge League and gain promotion to the Swiss Super League. On his Swiss Super League debut, he scored two goals against Grasshoppers. He also scored a hat-trick against FC Thun on 13 May 2017. He finished the season with 30 goals in 38 games in all competitions.
Dwamena’s impressive form attracted the interest of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, who agreed a fee with Zürich for his transfer on 21 August 2017. However, the deal fell through after Dwamena failed his medical due to a heart condition. He instead remained an FC Zürich player and continued to score goals for them. He scored 13 goals in 36 games in the 2017–18 season and helped Zürich to win the Swiss Cup. He also made his international debut for Ghana on 1 September 2017, scoring two goals in a 5–1 win over Congo in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Dwamena moved to Spanish club Levante on 6 August 2018 for a reported fee of €6 million. He made his La Liga debut on 17 August, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 loss to Real Betis. He struggled to find his form and fitness in Spain and did not score any goals in 12 appearances for Levante. He was loaned out to Segunda División club Real Zaragoza on 2 September 2019, where he scored two goals in nine games. He returned to Levante in January 2020, but was diagnosed with a heart problem that required surgery. He had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted, which enabled his club to monitor his heart during matches.
Dwamena joined Danish club Vejle BK on 5 October 2020 on a one-year loan deal. He scored two goals in five games for them, but his loan was cut short in October 2020 after the ICD showed values that were considered too high. He was withdrawn from team activities and returned to Levante for further tests. He left Levante by mutual consent on 1 February 2021 and became a free agent. He signed for Austrian third division club Blau-Weiß Linz on 16 February 2021, but played only three games for them. He collapsed on the pitch during a cup match against Harterg on 28 October 2021 and was shocked by the ICD. He recovered quickly and resumed playing.
Dwamena moved to Albanian club Egnatia Rrogozhinë on 1 July 2023 and became the top scorer in the Albanian Superliga with nine goals in 29 games. He was enjoying a career revival and was hopeful of returning to the Ghana national team. However, tragedy struck on 11 November 2023, when he collapsed again on the field in the 23rd minute of the match against Partizani. He was rushed to the hospital, but could not be revived.
Raphael Dwamena Wife
Dwamena was married to a woman named Meenakshi Dwamena.
Raphael Dwamena’s Death
Dwamena collapsed into sudden cardiac arrest on the field in the 23rd minute of the first half of the match between Egnatia and Partizani in Kavajë, On Saturday, 11 November 2023. He was rushed to the hospital, but could not be revived. He was pronounced dead on the way to Kavajë Hospital.
The match was abandoned and the Albanian Football Federation postponed all games scheduled in Albania that week. He was buried in his hometown of Nkawkaw on 18 November 2023.
Dwamena had a history of heart problems and had undergone surgery in 2020. He had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted, which enabled his club to monitor his heart during matches. In 2021, he collapsed during a cup match in Austria between his side Blau-Weiß Linz and Hartberg, but recovered and resumed playing.
Raphael Dwamena Net Worth
Raphael Dwamena’s was estimated to be around $5 million as of 2023. His market value as a footballer was estimated at €700k in October 2023.
