Footballer collapses and dies on the pitch after scoring goal

Ismail Mrisho Khalfan, 19, suffered a heart attack after a routine tackle minutes after finding the back of the net

A young footballer collapsed on the pitch and died in front of horrified teammates and fans just moments after scoring a goal.

Striker Ismail Mrisho Khalfan, who plays for Mbao FC in Tanzania, was tackled by another player minutes after the victory.

Mrisho struggled to get off the ground as the game against hosts Mwadui FC carried on. But by the time the referee blew the whistle, it was too late.

It is thought he suffered a heart attack, and died before reaching hospital

The 19-year old was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead on arrival.

Footage shows the man rolling onto his back as the referee spots there is something wrong and stops the match.

He rushes over with paramedics, who attempt to lift up Mrisho's legs to keep the flow of blood to his heart.

Widespread reports in Tanzania indicates that there was no resuscitation equipment in the ambulance that transported him to the hospital, with paramedics having to use heart massage techniques in a bid to save his life.

Tanzania Football Federation said in a statement: "We have received with deep sorrow the news about the death of the player and we send our condolences to the parents, family and teammates."

It was the last match in the group stage of the ‘Ligi ya Vijana’ competition in the town of Bukoba in the Kagera region of north-western Tanzania.

His case is similar to that of Cameroon international Marc Vivian Foe who collapsed and died in 2003 during a FIFA Confederations Cup clash against Colombia. While in May, another Cameroonian, Patrick Ekeng, died after collapsing on the field during a televised game in Romania.