Cameroon: How professional footballers are surviving the suspension of competitions

Professional football competitions were temporally suspended in Cameroon as a means to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision from the Minister of Sports and Physical Education remains a bitter one for local professional footballers.

Mark Ojong, a local professional footballer says he has engaged in business activities to permit him maintain his family.

“I sell electronic gadgets with my brother to have some money for my family. Despite this, I train on a daily bases to maintain my playing talent with hope that COVID-19 will end for me to resume football in top form”.

According to the player of Bamboutus of Bouda, an elite 1 football club in Cameroon, little savings he had for future projects have been exhausted with no signs in the horizon as to when the local championship will start in Cameroon.

“Selling electronics is good but I still have my dreams of playing professional football as soon as possible,” he adds.

Mofema Nathaniel Nangolo has been playing local professional football with Limbe City Council Football club before the outbreak of COVID-19.

The financial situation has been unbearable to the player that nurses plans to improve in his career.

“During this time that there is no competition, I work in a barbing saloon. My typical day agenda includes a football training session from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Then I prepare and go to the saloon where I practically spend the whole day. It’s not lucrative now but I thank God for blessing me with what came from there.”

To the player that has equally played for the intermediate lions of Cameroon, the barbing activity gives money but he would not hesitate to resume professional football when the coronavirus pandemic is contained in Cameroon.

“I go for training every day with my colleagues that live around Buea in the South West region of Cameroon”.

Besides seeking alternative sources of income, Mofema Nathaniel Nangolo is equally engaged in online studies to improve.

Just as these players, many other professional local footballers in Cameroon have engaged in other income generating activities like shoemending, trade and commercial motorcycle riding activities while waiting on a government decision to resume normal activities.

Mimi Mefo Infos.