By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has signed a framework agreement with the Turkish Memorial Hospital Group and MEMORIAL Cameroon, granting current and former Cameroonian footballers access to high-quality health care, including medical evacuations to Turkey if necessary.
The deal was signed on Friday, June 5, in Yaounde. The ceremony was attended by Samuel Eto’o Fils, who signed on behalf of FECAFOOT, and Hacim Carikli, director of International Region Memorial. H.E. Volkan Öskiper, Turkish ambassador to Cameroon, also attended the event.
Speaking during the ceremony, Öskiper praised the two parties for reaching a landmark deal. He described the agreement as aiming to promote the well-being of athletes who have contributed to Cameroon’s national and international standing.
For Carikli, the agreement is geared toward accompanying Cameroonian footballers when they have injuries and ensuring they are fully recovered when they are down.
Eto’o stated his happiness that a serious deal had been sealed, a deal that is geared toward the benefit of the players. He added that playing football is not just about playing like what is being seen.
“Playing football is a whole bunch of things. First of all, health, which allows us to go and get the victories that we are looking for is important and once again, our executive committee wanted to go a little further,” he said.
Eto’o noted that high-level football exposes athletes to significant physical demands that may require specialized care, sometimes unavailable locally. He said that aware of this reality, FECAFOOT entered into discussions with the Memorial Hospital Group, an institution recognized for its multidisciplinary medical expertise and state-of-the-art equipment.
According to FECAFOOT, the agreement reflects the parties’ shared commitment to establishing a sustainable cooperation mechanism that will allow beneficiaries to access specialized consultations, advanced examinations, complex surgical procedures, as well as rehabilitation and medical follow-up programs at the Memorial Hospital Group’s facilities.
The federation added that the agreement is part of an effort to protect the human capital of Cameroonian football and promote the well-being of athletes who have contributed to Cameroon’s national and international standing.
Through this partnership, FECAFOOT confirms its commitment to the health and social protection of Cameroonian football stakeholders, while the Memorial Hospital Group reaffirms its commitment to supporting the development of African sport through medical excellence.
The framework agreement will enable the management of complex pathologies in footballers and former footballers, access to state-of-the-art technical facilities, the organization of specialized consultations, the transfer of skills and sharing of medical expertise, and the implementation of prevention and health monitoring programs, among other measures.
Following the strategic partnership, observers praised the agreement but indicated that the league needs to step up financially, as significant expenses are expected to handle health care services in Turkey.
