By Walter Wilson Nana
Theophile Abega Mbida, who died November 15 2012 at the Yaoundé General Hospital, will be interred on Saturday, December 15 2012 in his hometown, Nkomo II.
In the build up to that, President Paul Biya, Thursday, December 13 in a Decree, ordered for an official burial for the legendary Cameroonian footballer and municipal administrator.
According to the Decree, the Secretary General in the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh will represent the President of the Republic at the funeral burial rites come Saturday, December 15 at Nkomo II.
Theophile Abega Mbida
As the nation, football enthusiasts, family members and friends warm up to give “Docta”, as Abega was affectionately called the last honour, preparations have intensified.
The Organising Committee, headed by Cameroon’s Roving Ambassador, Roger Albert Milla, who played alongside Abega in the 1984 AFCON in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, has requested for FCFA 18 million from the government of Cameroon, who is the main sponsor of the event, to be able to put everything in place to give Abega a suitable burial.
World Football Governing Body, FIFA’s Communication Officer, Emmanuel Baradas, revealed that members of FIFA would be present to pay their last respects to Abega.
Baradas held talks with some football officials in Douala, recently, before jetting back to Europe. The FIFA Executive promised to return before the burial ceremony.
The erstwhile Indomitable Lion’s player died on Thursday, November15 at the Yaoundé General Hospital, after suffering from cardiac arrest.
For close to a month, football fans, inhabitants of the Yaoundé IV municipality, where the deceased was the Mayor, sympathisers, friends and well wishers have joined his relatives to mourn the fallen champion, former captain of Canon of Yaoundé, former captain of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and one time President of Canon “Kpa-Kum” of Yaoundé.
Théophile Abega was born in Nkomo II in the outskirts of Yaoundé on July 9, 1954.
He began his football career with Canon of Yaoundé in 1978, and stayed on with the team until 1984. Thereafter, he will proceed to Toulouse in France, for his professional career and later moved on to Switzerland where he played for FC Vevy-Sport 05.
Abega was a resourceful midfielder and part of the Cameroon national football team that took part in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and the 1984 African Cup of Nations that was hosted by Ivory Coast. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon went on to win her first ever AFCON trophy with Abega as the captain at the Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. In the final match, Cameroon overpowered Nigeria 3 goals to 1, with Abega netting in one of the goals. After the 1984 AFCON, the midfield maestro was named African Player of the Year by the France Football Magazine.
Following a collision with goalkeeper Efford Chabala of Zambia in the 1986 African Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt, Abega was forced to retire from international football in 1987.
In 2006, Abega was selected by CAF as one of the best 200 African football players of the last 50 years.
Before his death, “Doctor” Abega, also managed Canon of Yaoundé as the President from 1999 to 2009.
He was also the Mayor of the Yaoundé IV District with headquarters in the popular neighbourhood in Yaoundé, Kondengui.
Some of the big names Abega played alongside in the Cameroonian football scene include; Jean Manga Onguene, today, National Technical Director, Mbida Arantes, retired from football, Jean Paul Akono, Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Victor Ndip Akem, Deputy Coach of the Under 21 Lions and more.
Married to Madeleine Mbong Ndzengue Abega, they are blessed with six children, three boys and three girls.
In his socio-political life, Abega was a third class traditional ruler of Nkomo II, member of the ruling CPDM Central Committee, President of the Mfoundi IV Section of the CPDM and Mayor of the Yaoundé IV Council.
Theophile Abega begins his last journey on earth and the green turf to meet his creator on Friday, December 14 2012 with the removal of his corpse from the morgue of the Yaoundé General Hospital.
Fare ye well “Docta”, Fare ye well the CAPTAIN!! Rest in eternal peace.
