Patrick Ekeng collapses during match, and dies at the hospital

Cameroonian player Patrick Ekeng collapsed on the football field on Friday evening, during a match in Romania’s top league. He died at the hospital.

The incident took place in the second half of a match between Dinamo Bucharest and FC Viitorul Constanta, in Romanian Liga I playoffs.

Ekeng fell unconsciously without being touched by any other player just 7 minutes after he entered the game.

The referee immediately paused the game and the medical team entered the field to give him the first aid.

However, it took almost three minutes until the ambulance took him to the Floreasca Emergency Hospital, which is right next to Dinamo’s stadium.

Ekeng was in a serious condition and he didn’t responde to the doctors’ resuscitation maneuvers, local Digi Sport reports. He apparently suffered a cardiogenic shock during which his heart stopped pumping blood to his vital organs, according to unofficial information quoted by Digi Sport.

The hospital’s representatives haven’t made any official statement yet.

26-year old Ekeng has been playing for Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest since mid-season and has had a few good matches lately.

Before this, he played for Cordoba in the Spanish second league and for Lausanne-Sport, in the Swiss League.

He played defensive midfielder and has also had 7 matches for the Cameroon national football team.

Ekeng is the second Dinamo Bucuresti player who died during a football match. In 2000, Dinamo’s captain Catalin Hildan died during a friendly match after he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was 24.

In 2012, a 21-year old Nigerian football player died during a match in Romania’s second league.

FC Sevilla’s Antonio Puerta and and Cameroon’s Marc-Vivien Foe are two of the best-known international footballers who died in similar conditions.