HOW TIOTE, OTHER HIGH-PROFILE AFRICAN PLAYERS DIED OF CARDIAC ARRESTS

How Tiote, other high-profile African players died of Cardiac arrests

Ivory Coast midfielder and former Newcastle United star Cheick Tiote died in hospital after collapsing during a training session in China last Monday.

His club, Beijing Enterprises, confirmed the 30-year-old’s death on social media and revealed the midfielder had “fainted without any warning”.

Tiote, who joined Newcastle in 2010 before leaving in February of this year, was immediately taken to hospital but doctors could not revive him and he died around 7pm Chinese time, or 12pm GMT.

Born in the Ivory Coast, Tiote was part of the Ivorian squad that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

He began his professional career in Belgium with Anderlecht in 2005 before moving to Dutch side FC Twente, where he made 86 appearances and won the Eredivisie league title in the 2009-10 season under manager Steve McClaren.

Tiote, a defensive midfielder, then signed for Newcastle in 2010 for £3.5m.

He joined Beijing Enterprises for an undisclosed fee in February 2017.

Other incidents

The sudden death of Tiote has increased the number of high-profile African players who have collapsed and died while playing football.

Though, the cause of his death has not been determined yet, it is widely believed to be a case of cardiac arrest considering the pattern of other similar cases.

According to Wikipedia, 138 footballers have died while playing a game, died directly from injuries sustained while playing, or died after being taken ill on the pitch.

Following an increase in deaths, both during matches and training, Federation of International Football Associations, FIFA considered mandatory cardiac testing, already in place for years in some countries.

30 out of the 137 footballers are from the African continent. But further research indicates most of African players’ death are not well documented.

Back home here, we have high profile players who have died on the pitch. Samuel Okwaraji was the first major on-field casualty in Africa. He collapsed while playing for the Super Eagles in a World Cup qualifier against Angola in Lagos in 1989.

In Lyon, France, in 2003, Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe fell in the centre circle 15 minutes from the end of Cameroon’s Confederations Cup semi-final with Colombia.

Medics spent 45 minutes trying to restart the midfielder’s heart before he was pronounced dead.

Other African internationals to die from heart attacks while playing were Amir Angwe and Endurance Idahor of Nigeria.

Tunisian centreback Hedi Berkhissa collapsed during a friendly for his club Esperance against French side Lyon.

Zambia’s Chaswe Nsofwa died during a club match in Israel in 2007 while Cameroonian Patrick Ekeng collapsed and died playing for Dinamo Bucharest in Romania last year.

In April this year former Gabon defender Moise Brou Apanga suffered a heart attack and died while training with his club FC 105 Libreville.

The cause

A medical consultant Oyinye Nwoke said that the problem is very common and not just affecting African players but everyone notwithstanding race.

“Conditions that can trigger sudden cardiac arrest includes; Coronary artery disease, Cardiomyopathy, Marfan syndrome, long QT syndrome, arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation), etc.

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause in athletes. It is a condition whereby the heart stops beating, blood stop flowing to the brain and other vital organs.”

The expert in sports medicine who had worked with the National Sports Commission (NSC) in the past noted that: “To tackle it depends on the cause as it does happen most times when no one expects it and that’s why it is good to always go for a general check up to see the doctor for prevention.

“Most people have chronic diseases without knowing and it is only through a regular hospital checkup that one can prevent heart attack from occurring, for instance, somebody might have hypertension BP without knowing as it can lead to heart attack, stroke etc.”

She also pointed out that knowing past family history could help in preventing cardiac arrest.

Affected players

Here is a list of African players who have died from Cardiac arrests while playing:

- Samuel Okwaraji (Nigeria)

- Amir Angwe (Nigeria)

- Hedi Berkhissa (Tunisia)

- John Ikoroma (Nigeria)

- Bobsam Elejiko (Nigeria)

- Endurance Idahor (Nigeria)

- Chinonso Ihelwere Henry (Nigeria)

- Victor Omogbehin (England)

- Marc-Viven Foe (Cameroon)

- Mohammed Abdelwahab (Egypt)

- Chaswe Nsofwa (Nigeria)

- Guy Tchingoma (Gabon)

- Orobosan Adun (Nigeria)

- Sekou Camara (Mali)

- Shetemi Ayetigbo (Nigeria/Ireland)

- David Oniya (Nigeria)

- Kodjo Etonam Adjassou (Togo)

- Bart Opoku (Ghana)

- Benjamin Owusu (Ghana)

- Mohamed Lemine M’Boye (Tanzania)

- Ambrose Wleh (Liberia)

- Patrick Ekeng (Cameroon)