Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's former international teammate, Ahmed Refaat, has tragically passed away at the age of 31, as announced by his club on Saturday. Refaat, who had a loan spell with UAE Pro League club Al Wahda, succumbed to sudden medical complications.
Modern Sport Club expressed deep sorrow in a Facebook statement, confirming the demise of Ahmed Refaat, a key player for both the club and the Egyptian national team, due to a severe decline in his health. The club also extended heartfelt condolences to Refaat's family and the Egyptian football community.
Earlier this year in March, Refaat had a heart attack during a match against Al Ittihad, where he stopped breathing for over an hour. Despite starting the game on the bench, he entered the field after 30 minutes but collapsed just two minutes before the end of the match and was quickly transported to the hospital, where he remained in intensive care for nearly two weeks.
Reports indicated that Salah had offered to arrange a private plane to transfer Refaat to London for further treatment. Refaat had a noteworthy season on loan with Abu Dhabi's Al Wahda in 2022-23, making 10 appearances, scoring two goals, and providing three assists. Prior to this, he had a four-season tenure with Zamalek, winning the Egypt Cup and the Egyptian Super Cup, and had represented Egypt at the youth level.
This tragic event echoes similar incidents in football, such as Christian Eriksen's collapse due to a cardiac arrest during a Euro match in 2021 and Tom Lockyer's similar incident in the English Premier League in 2023.
