For some time now, the local media have been awash with reports of local players dying on and off the field of play in the ongoing Elite 1 and 2 football championships. Among the bereaved clubs are Njalla Quan Sports Academy, a Limbe-based Elite 1 club that lost one of theirs Olivier David Njock. Although the player was not fielded in the match his club played against Apejes Mfou at the Limbe Centenary Stadium some weeks back, reports say he collapsed on the reserve bench even before the final whistle of the game could be given and died thereafter. A recent case is that of an Elite 2 club, Dynamo Douala, which lost two players on the pitch in a space of days. Oben Angong, attacker and Mbog Ferdinand, goalkeeper lost their lives in quick successions.

Death, some would say, is a common destiny, and can strike at any moment. Granted; it goes without saying that once it is frequent especially in a particular milieu like sports and football in particular, the powers that be absolutely need to take a deep breath and rethink. Professionalism in football, like in any field, requires embracing all that comes with it. If Europe and other continents where the game is sufficiently professionalised is any example to go by, stakeholders in Cameroon would obviously need to revise their notes and sit up.

As a matter of fact, once a player negotiates his contract with a professional club out there and reaches a consensus notably on the transfer fee and salary, there is usually what is commonly called a “Medical Test” that the player must pass before putting pen on paper with the club. Without being exhaustive, the medical exercise entails cardiac screening, blood test, fitness check, among others. The medical checks give the respective club medics the right information on each player, guides them on how to advice the players notably on what they should eat or not and give the doctors the clue on how each player can be medically monitored throughout his professional career.

As good as this may sound and as efficient and profitable as it has proven elsewhere, the indispensable move still appears to be luxury for so-called professional clubs here. Without carrying out any survey, it could be difficult to ascertain how many of the 18 Elite 1 clubs and same for the Elite 2 actually insist on carrying out a player’s medical test before engaging with the player. The number of deaths recorded on and off the pitch and the frequent malaise of players in the local league lends credence to the fact that very little consideration is given for the health of players.  It seems club officials focus more on what the player can give in terms of performance and little on how he is and feels before, during and after a game. Almost all the clubs claim to have first aid boxes but their contents and capability of those running them to handle some emergency cases leave much to be desired.

The conditions under which some of the players live and play in the country could even damage their health. Imagine a player who does not have a stable take home which in most cases cannot even take him half way home and who does not have training allowance or match bonus. The stress alone on how to meet up with challenges that a better pay package could have handled coupled with a bit of desperate exercises on the field of play can be fatal.

The recent deaths, like those that had occurred in the yesteryears, are to say the least scary and damaging to the country’s football. Man of course must die, but should not be pushed to his early grave by preventable situations. Something must be done and urgently too to stop or at least limit the unfortunate happenings. If club officials have deliberately refused to migrate to corporations as wished by professional league stakeholders with all that comes with it, they should at least be forced to protect the players on whom they thrive. The unenviable “administrative tolerance” must not be allowed to prosper here. Qualifying the clubs for continental competitions or moving them from inferior leagues to superior ones is good, but giving a special consideration to the health of players is imperative. It even guarantees the other successes that the clubs gun for.