Patrick Ekeng's family gather to mourn

The family and friends of Patrick Ekeng Ekeng who died during a championship game between his club, Dinamo Bucarest FC and Viitorul Constanta have disclosed the midfielder did not understand his body and did not want to play, feeling very tired before the game.

“He told his best friend he was not able to play and his coach insisted that he should play.

“He said he was very tired.

“Patrick was a very generous gentleman. It is very painful he is leaving behind a family, it is like a dream, a nightmare”, said Monique Chantal, Ekeng’s elder sister

Coach Onana saw Ekeng make the first passes at the ball at his tender age with his third division club, Sao-Paolo.

“He was a child who never disturbed, he was calm, he had no problem.

“I saw images similar to when Marc Vivien Foe former Cameroon midfielder died, in the centre of the field, it is sad, I never cry even when a relation dies but I did for Ekeng”.

Celine Chembi, Ekeng’s mother was out for funeral in the village and her phone started ringing, “what is this kind of news, they asked. At the end I was told Patrick is dead.

“It is difficult to talk about my son at this moment, but I believe in God and submit to the His will”.
The fourth child, Chembi says Ekeng was chosen among others and made a professional soccer career, but it is the will of God that he died.

“If this is football and the life of professional players then this calls for reflection”, Chembi said.


Ekeng lastly spoke to his mother on Thursday before she set out for the village to supervise construction works on his house.

“We did speak every day, but because I was in the village he sent someone to see me and was to call when I came back”.

The mother who had a close bond with the son narrated how he Ekeng became responsible very early at the age of 20.

“I was close to my son, and every time he called me I felt something, I was his confident, he was very obedient, calm and sociable.

“One day he confided in me; when he comes back from training he is always very tired to cook, his wish was to get a wife, we did everything and it was a nice wedding”, she added

Dinamo Bucharest is making arrangements for the repatriation of the corps to Cameroon.

Ekeng who played for Cameroon U-20 in 2009 and was part of the squad at the 2015 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea moved to Le Mans FC and later to Dinamo Bucarest in Romania.