Ivorian Defender Moustapha Sylla Dies On The Pitch

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ivory Coast footballer Moustapha Sylla has tragically passed away at the young age of 21, after suffering a heart attack during a game between Racing Club Abidjan and SOL FC at the Robert Champroux Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday.

The defender collapsed during the match and despite the efforts of opposition players rushing to his aid, he sadly passed away during transport to the hospital.

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Video footage of the incident showed the left-back losing his balance and dropping to the ground near the center-circle. Following the collapse, officials decided to continue with the match in the Ivorian top flight after Sylla was taken off the field.

‘Moustapha Sylla died Sunday night following an illness on the field during the match with Sol FC,’ the president of the Ivorian club, Logossina Cissé, told AFP. ‘Sylla passed away during transport to the hospital. He had arrived in September and was only 21 years old.’

RC Abidjan shared the sad news on their Twitter account, writing: ‘Our defender Sylla Moustapha died this evening after an illness on the pitch. Management sends sincere condolences to his family. Rest in peace Moustapha. Rest in peace LION.’

Sylla joined RC Abidjan in September 2022 from Malian side Djoliba AC. The club announced that his funeral would be held on Monday at the municipal cemetery in Dabou, Ivory Coast. The news of his untimely death has shocked the footballing community and tributes have poured in from around the world.