Death of players: LFPC, club presidents, coaches and players blamed

The Cameroonian sporting community remains marked by the death of Leopold Oben Ngon footballer and a player of the Dynamo of Douala, which occurred during day 31 of Ligue 2 on August 22, 2015.

The match was against Colombe of Dja et Lobo (1- 0).

The player, who was originally the only goal scorer for the match, collapsed on the turf of the Stade de la Reunification in Bépanda minutes after having received care. Rushed to the Douala General Hospital, the footballer died before entering the emergency room of the hospital.

“The death of this young 26 years old player occurred 11 days after that of his teammate and goalkeeper, Ferdinand Mbog,” said Porato. It is however believed he was recovered after surgery he had undergone. Before this double misfortune that hit the Dinali, Njalla Quan Sports Academy team in Limbe (the first team to be in mourning after the sudden death of their player, David Njock Njock). He watched the match between his team and Apejes (1-0) from the stands on the 27th day.

There was also the death of Alexis Dankam, defender of the Union of Sports Movements Loum, after a car accident, which occurred on August 11 on the Yaoundé-Douala highway.

These different deaths circumstances of footballers brought the issue of health care for professional players and amateur championships. Several medical experts and observers accused the lack of medical monitoring of players at clubs where medical visits remain a luxury.

"Some presidents consider these visits as an obstacle and not as a fundamental element of recruitment and player tracking," said Dr. Ferdinang Ngoh, sports physician, in an interview with La Nouvelle Expression. He also complained about the lack of skilled doctors and physiotherapists among the medical staff of Cameroonian football teams. Football Coach and physical trainer, Vassillios Esseme, also blamed the Professional Football League, organizer of professional championships in Cameroon.

"How can we organize a match without medical ambulance? It is a high-end medical device that allows the doctor to intervene effectively in cases of resuscitation and emergency. Interestingly, there no such in our stadiums," the football technician lamented.

This similarly questions the lifestyle of local footballers, who because of their precarious financial situation, are sometimes forced to go and offer their services in neighbourhood championships to supplement their income. Another concern arises at monitoring their diet. The club officials, for their part evoke cash tensions to justify poor medical care of players.