Celebrations over Ghana’s winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have turned tragic following the death of a 26-year-old lawyer who reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest moments after the Black Stars defeated Panama.
The deceased, Sara Araba Tettey, a newly qualified legal practitioner and alumna of the Faculty of Law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was said to have collapsed during jubilant scenes that followed Ghana’s victory on Wednesday.
According to local reports, Tettey was watching the match with friends at Standard Hostel, a private student hostel located at Bomso near the KNUST campus in Kumasi, when she suddenly became unresponsive after the final whistle.
Friends and other football enthusiasts at the venue reportedly rushed her to the KNUST Hospital, where doctors and emergency responders battled desperately to save her life.
Sources disclosed that medical personnel administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for about 45 minutes in an effort to revive her. Despite the intensive intervention, she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
The late lawyer, who was called to the Ghana Bar earlier this year, was working with O & A Legal Consult and was widely regarded as one of Ghana’s emerging legal talents.
Friends, colleagues and former classmates described her as intelligent, hardworking, compassionate and full of promise, noting that her sudden death has left many in shock.
The tragic incident has cast a shadow over celebrations among Ghanaian football fans, with tributes pouring in from members of the legal community and former associates.
Further details obtained by this online newspaper revealed that Tettey’s body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary pending an autopsy and funeral arrangements.
Her death has reignited conversations about the dangers of sudden cardiac events and the importance of emergency medical response during emotionally intense situations.
