Death is cruel and inevitable and it has claimed the lives of some of the great footballers in the world of football.
Cheick Tiote of Ivory Coast and Antonio Puerta of Spain died after collapsing on the pitch. May their souls rest in piece.
Cheick Tiote
Cheick Tiote was pronounced dead on June 5, 2017, after collapsing while on a morning routine with Beijing Enterprises Group.
Tiote was given a state funeral when his body was brought back to Africa. He was one of the best footballers in Ivory Coast at the time.
Marc-Vivien Foe
Football as a sport lost an icon on June 26, 2003, when Marc Vivien Foe collapsed and died later on during Cameroon versus Colombia match.
At the time of his collapse, no one was near him but an autopsy was carried out and it showed that Foe had a hereditary disease that increases the risk of death during exertion.
Antonio Puerta
Former Spanish and Sevilla Antonio Puerta collapsed while jogging on August 28, 2007, before Sevilla versus Getafe kick-off.
He was pronounced dead after three days of being in a prolonged cardiac arrest. He was 22 years old at the time of his death.
Miklos Feher
Hungary as a nation will live to remember Miklos Feher who collapsed and died on January 25, 2004, while playing for Benfica.
Miklos played well on that day for the Portuguese-based club only for him to collapse during the closing minutes of the match. May his soul rest in peace.
Phil O'Donnell
Phil O'Donnell died on December 29, 2007, after collapsing while being substituted by his club in the Scottish League.
The incident was alarming since the 35-year-old had not shown any signs of illness throughout the whole match. He was pronounced dead after the final whistle.
Samuel Okwaraji
Samuel Okwaraji of Nigeria collapsed and died on the pitch while on duty for the national team on August 12, 1989, at the Lagos National Stadium.
Okwaraji collapsed in the 77th minute against Angola and the rest is history. Africa was robbed of a great footballer on that day.