Black Stars striker Raphael Dwamena has undergone a successful surgery to correct a heart defect that has kept him off the pitch since October.
The player, who is on loan at Spanish Second Division club, Real Zaragoza from Levante, was ruled out from on-field action late in 2019 due to health concerns.
Although unconfirmed by his club, it had been speculated that a heart condition which stopped a move to the Premier League earlier in his career had resurfaced.
However, the player appears to have overcome this hurdle, with the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) confirming the player’s successful surgery in a tweet.
“We wish you speedy recovery and good health,” the PFAG added in its tweet.
The @PFAGofficial is pleased to hear @RaphaelDwamena has undergone a successful heart surgery.
We wish you speedy recovery and good health.#WithThem #ForThem 🙏⚽🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/561xPPziKH
— PFAG (@PFAGofficial) January 23, 2020
Stalled rise
After a rough period, Dwamena’s form looked to be back on the rise at his new club Real Zaragoza.
Following a stunning pre-season campaign, and a good start to the season, it appeared that Dwamena had finally put a troubled past behind him and was heading back to his very best.
His season-long loan move to Zaragoza from Levante was seen as a make-or-break one after a disappointing season with his parent club where he struggled to find his best form, being relegated to 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring just one goal.
He had moved to Levante despite seemingly bound for Premier League club Brighton who were willing to shelve out £10 million for the striker.
However, the biggest disappointment of the career of this young forward saw the deal fall through after he failed a medical.
This was a huge blow for a striker who had been tipped for greatness in Europe, having earned rave reviews at FC Zurich, scoring 13 times and assisting 12 more in his final season for the Swiss club.
Dwamena had drawn blanks in Zaragoza’s first three games of the season against Tenerife, Ponferradina and Elche despite starting all three games.
However his linkup play upfront with new signing Shinji Kagawa and Luiz Suarez has proved invaluable to the side.
Dwamena finally got his reward against Alcorcón, scoring his first goal of the season.
He managed one more goal in his next five games before his season was unceremoniously cut short.
