Speaking to Sputnik Africa, a Cameroonian sports journalist, Willy Kak, welcomed the Protect the Dream campaign recently launched by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
"Many young players have experienced setbacks in their careers due to unscrupulous agents, club managers, and there are players who are exploited and not compensated fairly for their contributions on the field," the journalist said.
According to Kak, this practice is particularly widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. In Cameroon, "so-called professional clubs don't pay players' salaries as they should; they don't pay transfer bonuses," the journalist pointed out. On the other hand, the situation is better in North Africa, he noted.
"If young people are exploited and trafficked, it's also with the complicity of others who are not always in Africa but in Europe, the US, and Asia," he stressed, adding that the scourge "is quite vast."
In order to curb this practice, the Cameroonian called for the creation of training centers that will mentor young players, as well as for "provision of the financial and human resources needed" by the CAF and above all for "working with the governing bodies of our states."
According to research published in the Commonwealth Youth and Development Journal, "football trafficking" is the practice of importing young children from Africa into European football leagues. Agents charge thousands of dollars to bring children as young as eight to audition for a European team. Many children dream of becoming football stars, but the reality is that the vast majority end up stranded in Europe, unable to work and unable to return home. The football labor market profits from and abuses players.
The Protect the Dream campaign is part of a series of collaborative programs led by the CAF and aimed at creating a safe and supportive environment for young African football talent to grow. It raises awareness of the risks of player trafficking and exploitation. It also provides tools to build the confidence of young football players through communication training and promotes the health and well-being of both male and female players.