By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (January 30^th 2022)

Mission

I was due to be in Yaoundé today to watch the last two quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations – Egypt v Morocco and Sénégal v the last of the surprise packages, Equatorial Guinea. Instead, I remained in Douala. Alex Ebongue, told me that he had arranged for us to meet a great legend of Cameroonian – African  – football actually.

He warned me that I would not like what I was going to see – the living conditions of this legend. Oryx Douala were the winners of the inaugural African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1965. Only three of that team survive, including Ricardo Elamé-Manga, the octogenarian great I had stayed behind to meet. It proved to be a rare privilege.

I have attended a few matches at this AFCON but despite CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, declaring his wish to incorporate legends into African football, the first generation of Cameroonian greats like Elamé-Manga were conspicuous by their absence. He began playing in 1959 in Yaoundé, transferring to Oryx Douala in 1962. Oryx became the first club to become African champions – it was reserved for league champions then.

Oryx are in the third division of Cameroonian football, but they were the first great club of Cameroonian football since independence. Their stadium is now named after one of their greatest legends, Mbappé Leppé. Sadly, a statue of Leppé at the ground was vandalised.

Living Conditions Unbefitting Legends

Ebongue didn’t know that I have seen a few legends living in conditions unbecoming their status in football. I have seen it in Ghana. For example, the late Asante Kotoko and 1978 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hero Fuseini Salifu. Fuseini deserved much better. Medical ailments ravaged his body in the last year of his life – he had to have a leg amputated, but it was too late. The effects of a stroke in 2016 and diabetes took its toll. The money finally paid to 1978’s AFCON winners came too late for Fuseini – his medical needs devoured it. Fuseini died a day later in October 2018.

Along with his teammate, Golden Boy, Abdul Razak Karim, I visited him twice. Golden Boy was the Player of the Tournament in 1978. The former Asante Kotoko player was one of the greatest players the Black Stars ever produced. He was also a humanitarian who told me about Fuseini and helped highlight the plight of Kotoko greats. The second time was a surprise to him as I came back to see him bearing a gift from his rival but teammate, one of Ghana’s great goalkeepers, Joseph Carr, and a message from Carr who told Fuseini that he knew about his plight and wanted to help.

It lifted his spirits and so did the generosity of spirit of an African football legend. Hearing of Fuseini’s plight, AFCON’s highest scorer, Samuel Eto’o Fils, the recently elected President of FECAFOOT, sent Fuseini this message https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eiIjSGqGWo

Hope

Elamé-Manga deserves better. He inspired Cameroonian greats, Roger Milla and Joseph Antoine Bell. Both defer to Elamé-Manga. He is 80 now, living in accommodation that does not accord with his legendary status. Players of his era never had the opportunity to earn and save. He now requires help for medicines and more.

His years of service over, he cannot cover his needs now. His plight should touch the hearts of Cameroonians and football. He received 10000 CAF (Central African Francs) for winning the African Cup of Champions Clubs – 10000. Compare that to match winning bonuses now.

Elamé has not been included in Cameroon’s second AFCON – he hasn’t been seen in VVIP at Douala’s Japoma Stadium. The least – the very least – he deserves is to be treated as the great legend that he is and to be feel football’s love. It’s long overdue.