Madagascar Defender Loses Wife Ahead of World Cup Qualifier Against Ghana in Kumasi

• Madagascar defender Tantely Avotriniaina loses wife
• The defender has returned home owing to the death of his wife
• Avotriniaina arrived in Ghana with his teammates for the World Cup qualifiers

Madagascar defender Rabarijaoana Tantely Avotriniaina has returned home following the death of his wife while in camp with the national team ahead of the game against Ghana.

Tantely Avotriniaina's wife passed away on Tuesday as the team touched down in Kumasi to start preparations for the opening Group I match against the Black Stars.

The technical team excused the CFF Andoharanofotsy player to pay his final respects to his partner.

"The tongue is loose, the heart is touched, in front of this suffering of our friend, our colleague, RABARIJAONA Tantely Avotriniaina or This is "Dadafara," who lost his wife," wrote the Malagasy Football Federation on Facebook, as quoted by Ghana Soccernet.

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"He is on his way back home from Kumasi, Ghana. The Malagasy football family supports and encourages him in this difficult time he is going through."

Madagascar will replace the player when the team returns home for their next game against Chad.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Football Association has confirmed a minute silence will be observed for late Black Stars striker Raphael Dwamena.

“As regards to program to honour Raphael Dwamena, we officially wrote to FIFA to seek approval, and this afternoon, FIFA has positively responded to our request, so tomorrow we shall have a one-minute silence in his honour before kickoff," GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum said, as quoted by Football Ghana.

Dwamena collapsed and died during a league match in Albania on November 11, 2023.

His body will be returned to Ghana next week ahead of his final funeral rites.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ghanaian footballer Raphael Dwamena sadly passed away after collapsing during an Albanian Superliga game between FK Egnatia and KF Partizani.

The 28-year-old collapsed in the 23rd minute of the game and had to be rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

Dwamena has been playing with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defribillator due to a heart problem.