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DOHA, Qatar -- Ecuador striker Christian Benitez died of heart failure, according to his Qatari club El Jaish on Wednesday, without adding further details. The 27-year-old striker died on Monday, a day after playing his first match for his new club. "The official medical reports were issued by official state entities and stated that the sudden death was caused by heart failure," the club said in a statement. The club added that his body will be repatriated on a private plane. On Tuesday, Ecuador football federation president Luis Chiriboga said the 27-year-old Benitez had been taken to the hospital with sharp stomach pains, developed peritonitis and died of cardiorespiratory arrest. Benitezs body is expected to be flown back to Ecuador on Thursday following a ceremony that will include family members at Doha airport. The plane is set to leave Qatar for Ecuador at 2300 GMT, Ecuador politician Ricardo Patino tweeted. The flight should take about 18 hours. A funeral was planned for Thursday in Quito, along with separate tributes to the player. Anibal Fuentes, head of the provincial sports authority for Quito, told Radio Sonorama that "the coffin will make a stop at the Casa de la Seleccion (the national team training centre) for a small ceremony, and will then be transported to the General Ruminahui coliseum" sports arena, which has been set up to receive the family and thousands of fans. Benitez was a powerful striker who helped former club America to win the Mexican championship last season. The father of three, who also played for Birmingham, scored 24 goals in 58 appearances for Ecuador and was on the countrys World Cup team in 2006. Swell Bottle Italia . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Swell Scontate . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. http://www.italiahydroflask.it/ . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Swell Bottiglia Lento .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. Swell Italia . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert is dealing with an elbow injury he deemed as significant, while defensive end Cam Heyward has a high right ankle sprain.Both starters vowed Sunday to be ready for the teams regular-season opener in two weeks at Washington.Heyward and Gilbert left Fridays preseason game against New Orleans in the second quarter. Two days later, Gilbert wore a sleeve on his left elbow in the locker room and Heyward had a protective boot on his right foot.I think we have a lot of time and it works in our favor that were playing Monday (in the season opener), Heyward said. Im going to use that to my advantage.Gilbert, who hyperextended his left elbow against the Saints, was also dealing with a shoulder injury to the same arm that forced him to miss time during the preseason. Gilbert said the elbow is something he can play through.Theres no way Im missing that first game, Gilbert said. Ill be there no matter what.Gilbert, the Steelers second-round pick in 2011, missed four games the previous three seasons. He allowed just one sack last season while shutting down several of the top pass rushers in the league, including Super Bowl MVP Von Miller in the regular season and playoffs.Gilbert said he doesnt have to undergo surgery now, but may need it in the future. He is being evaluated by renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews.I can play on it now, Gilbert said. Its something that just has to heal. Its not going to be something that keeps me off the field.Since entering the NFL as the Steelers first-round pick in 2011, Heyward has appeared in 80 consecutive games, tied for the fifth-longest active streak by a defensive end.ddddddddddddI take pride in not missing games, Heyward said. Its Week 1, Im going to be there.Heywards high ankle sprain could jeopardize that streak. He said his injury was in between a mild Grade 1 and moderate Grade 2 sprain.They couldnt differentiate much from where I was right after into where I am now, Heyward said. I should be ready for the game.Heyward was the victim of a cut block against the Saints. He stayed in for another play before leaving the field with an ice bag taped to his ankle.Pittsburgh can ill afford to lose Heyward, a defensive leader who played 88 percent of the teams snaps last season and led the Steelers in sacks the previous two years. Heyward and Stephon Tuitt have teamed to give the Steelers one of the most formidable tandems at defensive end. Tuitt, who enters his third season, has no problem stepping up if Heyward is forced to miss time.Thats the worst-case scenario and I dont think thats going to happen, Tuitt said. But if it did happen, it would be up to me to step in as the leader and do it.Game notes The Steelers placed offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, their fourth-round pick, on injured reserve with a torn labrum, while quarterback Dustin Vaughan was waived injured. The team also reduced its roster to 79 players prior to Tuesdays league-mandated 75-player deadline. Included on the list was 2014 sixth-round pick Jordan Zumwalt.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '