Footballer Sofiane Lokar dies on field due to heart attack
Algerian footballer Sofiane Loukar on Saturday passed away during a match due to a heart attack after colliding with his team's goal-keeper. Loukar was treated on the ground after running into the ball stopper and was cleared to continue the game. Nine minutes later, he collapsed on the ground. The incident took place during a Ligue 2 clash between ASM Oran versus Mouloudia Saida.
Why does it matter?
After he collapsed, the paramedics ran and tried to save his life by attempting CPR and performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But they were not successful. Lokar was the captain of Saida and after the news of his demise broke, players abandoned the match. According to a report in The Sun, Lokar got hitched last week, making the Christmas day's events even more tragic.
Lokar second player to pass away this week
Lokar has become the second footballer to pass away this week. Earlier on Friday, Croatian footballer Marin Cacic died due to heart failure. Cacic was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the ground due to a heart attack during training. He was diagnosed with heart failure and was put into a coma as the doctors unsuccessfully tried to save his life.
Other on-field incidents in football this year
Earlier this year, European football was rocked after Denmark player Christian Eriksen collapsed on the ground while playing against Finland during a Euro 2020 match. In October this year, Sergio Aguero walked off the field during Barcelona's match against Alaves due to a breathing issue. He was later diagnosed with arrhythmia, leading to his retirement from football at the age of 33.
A worrying trend for footballers
Structural or electrical abnormalities are the leading cause of cardiac arrest among athletes nowadays. These abnormalities can be genetic and more often than not they remain undiagnosed. And, excessive exercise can be a trigger for a sportsperson with an abnormal heart condition. Sometimes even a hard blow to the chest can trigger cardiac arrest, which is known as "commotio cordis."
