Former Black Stars player Augustine Arhinful feels that Raphael Dwamena, who passed away in recent months, ought to have followed his physicians’ medical advice rather than his own beliefs.
Arhinful maintains that Dwamena’s life could have continued as a coach and that the medical professionals’ opinion in this instance overruled Dwamena’s religious convictions.
“It’s not about being a Christian. It is about believing in someone who in this case is a medical practitioner who has studied and knows exactly what your body needs,” he said.
“So it has got nothing to do with faith or Christianity for that matter.”
“I don’t know if it was pressure from the family. He played some years out there so he had his house, some money in the bank so if he had stopped, his life would have continued,” continued.
“He could have been a coach, if indeed he loves soccer so much, to still be in the game. If he had taken a different decision, he would (have) still been here with us,” he added.
During his nearly completed transfer to Brighton in England, the former Black Stars forward discovered he had a cardiac problem during a regular medical examination.
Experts advised Dwamena to give up on the sport, but he continued to compete with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator and later had it removed—a decision driven entirely by his personal faith.
But in November 2023, while playing in an Albanian league, his heart failed, and he passed away before he could get to the hospital.
