African player collapses and dies in Israel

29 August 2007 22:35

Chaswe Nsofwa, pictured in 2001, a Zambian footballer playing in the Israeli league, collapsed and died after a match on Wednesday in an eerie echo of the tragedy which befell Spanish midfielder Antonio Puerta.

JERUSALEM (AFP) - A Zambian footballer, playing in the Israeli league, collapsed and died after a match on Wednesday in an eerie echo of the tragedy which befell Spanish midfielder Antonio Puerta.

Chaswe Nsofwa, who plays for Hapoel Beersheva, collapsed during a training game in the south of the country, a hospital source said.

Nsofwa was taken to hospital in Beersheva where he was declared dead.

The cause of his death was not revealed.

On Saturday, the 22-year-old Puerta collapsed during a Spanish league match but died on Tuesday after multiple organ failure caused by prolonged cardiac arrest.