Cameroonian player reveals club refused to pay medical bills

"I was playing in a friendly for my team UMS de Loum against FC Sawa when I broke my arm," Mfambove stated via FIFPRO.

"I was first taken to the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala where I underwent X-rays paid for by FC Sawa. I suffered a double fracture in my left forearm and the doctors advised me to undergo surgery.

"However, the leadership of UMS de Loum thought the costs of the operation were too high. They instead decided on an alternative: they sent me to a massage centre.

"I spent more than a month in that massage centre and their help was adequate. Thanks to the massage treatments, I was able to regain the use of my forearm.

"When I wanted to leave the centre, though, I was kept hostage because my club had refused to pay the bill, which amounted to 316,000 CFA francs (USD 500) for treatment and hospitalisation. They told me I would only be released if the bill was paid."

According to a survey conducted in 2021 by the Cameroonian player union Synafoc, which involved 616 professional footballers from the top two men's divisions and the premier women's league, a staggering 73 percent of them experienced salary delays.

Moreover, players often encounter additional difficulties due to clubs disregarding regulations and failing to adhere to standard player contracts.

Shockingly, the majority of players do not possess a copy of their contract, receive payments through bank transfers, or have access to social security benefits.