Touchaheart Nigeria reports that Moustapha Sylla, a football player for the Ivory Coast, passed away at age 21 from a heart attack.
At the Robert Champroux Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday, the defender passed out during the match between Racing Club Abidjan and SOL FC.
The left-back was shown on video losing his footing and falling to the ground close to the center circle before opposition players came to his aid.
Sylla Moustapha (21), defensor del Racing Club Abidjan, murió durante un partido de la primera división de Costa de Marfil. Se desplomó en pleno encuentro. QEPD. 🇨🇮pic.twitter.com/e1JqdiXCQ3
— Fodboldworld (@fodboldword) March 6, 2023
Once Sylla was removed from the pitch, officials made the decision to continue the game in the top division of Ivory Coast.
‘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 wrote on its Twitter account;
‘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.’
The club announced that Sylla’s funeral would take place on Monday at the Dabou, Ivory Coast, municipal cemetery.
Sylla transferred from the Malian team Djoliba AC to RC Abidjan last September.
