World Cup: 26-year-old lawyer d!es after suffering cardiac arrest while celebrating Ghana’s victory over Panama

A 26-year-old legal practitioner has tragically d!ed after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest while celebrating Ghana’s victory over Panama in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

The deceased, Sara Araba Tettey, a newly qualified lawyer and alumna of the Faculty of Law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was said to have collapsed moments after jubilant scenes erupted following the Black Stars’ victory.

Local media reported that Ms Tettey, who was called to the Ghana Bar earlier this year, was working with O & A Legal Consult and was widely regarded by colleagues and friends as one of the country’s promising young legal professionals.

According to eyewitness accounts, she was watching the match with friends at Standard Hostel, a private student hostel at Bomso near the KNUST campus in Kumasi, when she suddenly became unresponsive amid celebrations after the final whistle.

Friends and other patrons at the hostel immediately rushed her to the KNUST Hospital, where medical personnel battled to save her life.

Sources indicated that doctors and emergency responders administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for approximately 45 minutes in an effort to revive her. 

Despite the intensive medical intervention, she was pronounced d3ad shortly afterwards.

Friends and former classmates described Ms Tettey, affectionately known as “Araba Tettey,” as intelligent, hardworking, compassionate and full of promise.

The body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary pending autopsy and funeral arrangements.