5 Football Players Who Died On The Field Of Play

Football, with all of the excitement it brings to billions around the world, has shown demonstrated proclivity to dish out equal amount of pain. Sometimes it is merely the pain of defeat, sometimes the pain of seeing players take excruciating levels of pain in the line of action, other times, it has been the ultimate tragedy; the fall of a hero in the line of duty.

While this ugly reality is a facet of the beautiful game no one wants to see, every generation has witnessed many a promising talent tragically come to a premature end on the field of play.

Today, Eko Hot Blog history remembers five players of the round leather game who paid the ultimate price on the field of battle.

(1) Marc Vivien Foe, June 2003:

Marc-Vivien Foe was part of the golden generation of Cameroon soccer team that established firm dominance of the African continent from the early to mid 2000s. The midfielder collapsed after a heart attack during a Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in Lyon, France. The former Manchester City, West Ham and Lyon player was carried from the pitch as medical staff tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. After trying to restart his heart for 45 minutes without success he was declared dead, aged just 28. His death prompted improvements in both the testing of footballers for heart problems and the treatment they can receive during matches, including training club medical teams in CPR and using defibrillators.

(2) Antonio Puerta, August 2007

Spain international Puerta, 22, collapsed while playing for Sevilla in a La Liga match against Getafe and died three days later from multiple organ failure stemming from prolonged cardiac arrest. It was three months after he had helped Sevilla to win the UEFA Cup. Sergio Ramos has a tattoo tribute to Puerta and wore a T-shirt dedicated to him as Spain won the 2010 World Cup. “Antonio has always been with me. The next game, I went out on the field with his shirt and for a long time after that, I wore one that was dedicated to him,” said Ramos.

READ ALSO: 5 Football Players Who Suffered Career-Ending Injuries

(3) Phil O’Donnell, December 2007

The Motherwell captain died of heart failure towards the end of his side’s 5-3 Scottish Premier League win over Dundee United in December 2007. The 35-year-old midfielder collapsed just as he was about to be substituted and was treated for around five minutes on the field before being taken to a waiting ambulance. O’Donnell played for Scotland, Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday during his career and his death caused widespread grief in Scottish football, causing a number of fixtures to be postponed. “He was a man among boys in every sense, in his attitude, his professionalism and integrity and sincerity,” his manager Mark McGhee said.

(4) Cristiano Jr.

Júnior collided with Mohun Bagan goalkeeper, in the 78th minute of the Federation Cup finals. While scoring his second goal after chasing the ball into the box, he collided with the keeper, staggered away and then collapsed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. The game continued after Junior was taken off the field. He was dead on arrival at Hosmat Hospital, hospital officials said that no doctors were requested to be at the ground during the Federation Cup match, “At no time, was the hospital requested to provide doctors, and no agreement or contract for doctors was made.” According to the autopsy performed in the Bangalore Hospital (where Junior was moved from the stadium), the footballer died because of a heart stroke.

(5) Cheick Tiote, June 2017

Cheick Tiote is a name that will live long in the memory of Newcastle fans, notably for his role in the climax of perhaps the most epic match in the history of the Premier League. Newcastle had been trailing Arsenal by a staggering four goals, only for the magpies to pull a miracle on Tyneside to get back on level terms. After scoring three second half goals, Newcastle needed one more to complete the historic comeback. Up stepped Cheick, with few minutes left, the Ivorien volleyed home a memorable fourth, sparking wild jubilation at St. James’s Park.

The 30-year-old Ivory Coast international “suddenly fainted” during a regular training session in 2017 and was taken to hospital where he died, his Chinese club Beijing Enterprises said. Tiote’s Ivorian teammate Gervinho, who plays for Serie A side, Parma, described Tiote as a “warrior” and “champion” on Twitter. “May your soul rest in peace,” he said. Alan Pardew, who managed Tiote at Newcastle United, said: “Cheick was a wonderful presence around the dressing room and his performances on the field often defied belief. I loved him. He’s everything that you want in a Newcastle player.”