Egyptian international Ahmed Refaat has passed away at the age of 31, his club Modern Sport announced on Saturday.
His death follows a heart attack he suffered during an Egyptian Premier League match in March.
He was admitted to the intensive care unit on March 11 after collapsing in the 88th minute of Modern Future’s league match against Al-Ittihad Alexandria.
Refaat, who received a pacemaker, was released from the hospital a month later and continued his recovery.
“Modern Future FC regrets to announce the passing of Ahmed Refaat, a striker for both the first team and the Egyptian national team, following a serious deterioration in his health,” the club stated.
“He was hospitalised after a challenging battle following the health crisis that unfolded on March 11, 2024.”
Egypt’s captain and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah paid tribute to his teammate.
“May God bless his family and all those dear to him,” Salah wrote on X.
Ahmed Refaat made 7 appearances for the Egyptian national team, scoring 2 goals and assisting once.
In his club career, he played in 211 matches, scoring 46 goals and providing 40 assists.
The tragic passing of Refaat underscores a troubling rise in cardiovascular incidents in football.
On another note, there has been a noticeable increase in players experiencing on-field collapses due to heart-related issues in recent years.
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