{"id":8634,"date":"2026-11-04T10:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T10:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/04\/from-okwaraji-to-de-miguel-10-footballers-who-died-during-matches\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T10:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T10:01:14","slug":"from-okwaraji-to-de-miguel-10-footballers-who-died-during-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/04\/from-okwaraji-to-de-miguel-10-footballers-who-died-during-matches\/","title":{"rendered":"From Okwaraji to De Miguel: 10 footballers who died during matches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The death of Tenerife striker Jes\u00fas de Miguel following a collision during a Spanish second-division match has renewed attention on footballers who have lost their lives while playing the game.\n<\/p>\n<p>De Miguel died in hospital on Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest following a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jes\u00fas Owono during Tenerife\u2019s match against FC Andorra.\n<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred in stoppage time with the score level at 2-2. Owono rushed out of his area to clear a long ball but struck De Miguel in the chest with his knee.\n<\/p>\n<p>The goalkeeper was shown a red card, while the match was abandoned. De Miguel received emergency treatment on the pitch and was resuscitated before being taken to hospital, where his condition later deteriorated.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, several footballers have suffered fatal medical emergencies or injuries during matches.\n<\/p>\n<p>While some died at the stadium, others passed away in hospital despite efforts to save their lives.\n<\/p>\n<p>From Nigerian international Samuel Okwaraji to Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Fo\u00e9, PUNCH Online on Wednesday takes a look at 10 footballers whose deaths shocked the sporting world.<\/p>\n<p>1. Samuel Okwaraji (Nigeria, 1989)\n<\/p>\n<p>Samuel Okwaraji remains one of the most remembered Nigerian footballers to have died while representing his country.\n<\/p>\n<p>The midfielder collapsed during Nigeria\u2019s 1990 World Cup qualifying match against Angola at the National Stadium in Lagos on August 12, 1989.\n<\/p>\n<p>He was rushed for medical attention but could not be revived. He was 25.\n<\/p>\n<p>His death was attributed to heart failure and remains one of the most painful moments in Nigerian football history.\n<\/p>\n<p>2. Marc-Vivien Fo\u00e9 (Cameroon, 2003)\n<\/p>\n<p>Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Fo\u00e9 died after collapsing during his country\u2019s Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in France on June 26, 2003.<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old fell to the ground in the second half of the match, prompting immediate medical attention.\n<\/p>\n<p>Despite efforts to revive him, Fo\u00e9 died, leaving the football world in mourning.<\/p>\n<p>His death shocked the international football community and prompted renewed discussions about cardiac screening for professional players.\n<\/p>\n<p>3. Mikl\u00f3s Feh\u00e9r (Hungary, 2004)\n<\/p>\n<p>Hungarian striker Mikl\u00f3s Feh\u00e9r died after collapsing during Benfica\u2019s league match against Vit\u00f3ria de Guimar\u00e3es in Portugal on January 25, 2004.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 24-year-old had been playing when he suddenly fell to the ground.\n<\/p>\n<p>Medical personnel rushed to his aid, but he suffered cardiac arrest and could not be saved.<\/p>\n<p>His death was broadcast on television and became one of the most distressing moments in Portuguese football.\n<\/p>\n<p>4. Antonio Puerta (Spain, 2007)\n<\/p>\n<p>Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed during a Spanish league match against Getafe on August 25, 2007.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 22-year-old initially regained consciousness and was able to leave the pitch with assistance.\n<\/p>\n<p>However, he suffered further cardiac complications and died in hospital three days later.\n<\/p>\n<p>His death deeply affected Spanish football, with tributes pouring in from clubs, players and supporters. <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-also\">\n<header>Related News<\/header>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>5. Endurance Idahor (Nigeria, 2010)<\/p>\n<p>Nigerian striker Endurance Idahor died after collapsing during a Sudanese league match between Al-Merrikh and Al-Amal on March 6, 2010.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old reportedly fell during the game and was taken for medical attention.\n<\/p>\n<p>Despite efforts to save him, he died, leaving Nigerian football fans and his teammates in shock.<br \/>6. Piermario Morosini (Italy, 2012)\n<\/p>\n<p>Italian midfielder Piermario Morosini died after collapsing during a Serie B match between Livorno and Pescara on April 14, 2012.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old suffered a cardiac emergency during the encounter and received emergency treatment on the pitch.\n<\/p>\n<p>He was subsequently taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.\n<\/p>\n<p>His death prompted renewed scrutiny of emergency medical arrangements at football stadiums.<br \/>7. Peter Biaksangzuala (India, 2014)<\/p>\n<p>Indian footballer Peter Biaksangzuala died after suffering a serious spinal injury while celebrating a goal in October 2014.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 23-year-old midfielder attempted a backflip after scoring for Bethlehem Vengthlang in a league match but landed awkwardly.\n<\/p>\n<p>He was taken to hospital and later died from his injuries.\n<\/p>\n<p>His death led to tributes from the Indian football community.<br \/>8. Patrick Ekeng (Cameroon, 2016)\n<\/p>\n<p>Cameroonian midfielder Patrick Ekeng died after collapsing during a Romanian league match between Dinamo Bucharest and Viitorul Constan\u021ba on May 6, 2016.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 26-year-old fell to the ground shortly after coming on as a substitute.\n<\/p>\n<p>He was rushed to hospital but could not be revived.<\/p>\n<p>His death raised concerns about the availability and use of emergency medical equipment during football matches.<br \/>9. Raphael Dwamena (Ghana, 2023)\n<\/p>\n<p>Ghanaian striker Raphael Dwamena died after collapsing during an Albanian league match between Egnatia and Partizani on November 11, 2023.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old suffered a cardiac emergency during the match and could not be saved.\n<\/p>\n<p>Dwamena had previously been diagnosed with a heart condition and had undergone medical procedures related to it.\n<\/p>\n<p>His death renewed concerns about the risks of cardiac conditions among professional footballers.<br \/>10. Jes\u00fas de Miguel (Spain, 2026)\n<\/p>\n<p>Spanish striker Jes\u00fas de Miguel became the latest footballer to die following a medical emergency during a competitive match.\n<\/p>\n<p>The 30-year-old suffered cardiac arrest after colliding with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jes\u00fas Owono during Tenerife\u2019s Segunda Divisi\u00f3n encounter on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred in stoppage time with the score tied at 2-2.\n<\/p>\n<p>Owono rushed out of his area to clear a long ball but struck De Miguel in the chest with his knee. The goalkeeper was shown a red card, and the match was abandoned.\n<\/p>\n<p>De Miguel received emergency treatment on the pitch and was resuscitated before being taken to hospital, where he was admitted to intensive care.\n<\/p>\n<p>His condition later deteriorated, and he died on Tuesday morning in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.\n<\/p>\n<p>The deaths of these players have left lasting memories among football fans and highlighted the importance of prompt medical intervention and emergency preparedness in the sport\n                    <\/p>\n<p>Source: <\/p>\n<div class=\"nSourse\">Punch Newspapers &#8211; Latest News<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The death of Tenerife striker Jes\u00fas de Miguel following a collision during a Spanish second-division match has renewed attention on footballers who have lost their lives while playing the game.&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}