Egyptian international defender Mohammed Abdel Wahab died of a heart attack while training with his club, champions al-Ahly, on Thursday.
The 22-year-old collapsed on the pitch and was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital but resuscitation efforts failed.
The young defender won all national and continental awards with his Cairo club and was also part of the squad that won the African Cup of Nations in February.
Wahab’s death comes three years after Cameroon international midfielder Marc Vivien Foe collapsed and died during a 2003 Confederations Cup semifinal in France.
The 28-year-old Foe’s death resulted in Fifa introducing new health measures at the 2006 World Cup where for the first time all the players from the 32 participating nations underwent medical checks for potential heart defects. — Sapa-AFP