Kama Dumbuya – a Football Legend to be Given Civic Funeral
Competent sources have revealed that the football legend, Kama Dumbuya who passed away June 17th, 2017 in Freetown will receive a civic funeral to be attended by top government officials, MPs and the general populace to bid adieu to the football star that constituted the backbone of the national team for no less than two decades!
King Kama brought unique talents and qualities in the pitch that thrilled Sierra Leoneans and Africans across the Continent throughout his career.
As a midfielder, he had speed, power, perfect ball control coupled with his dribbling skills that had never been seen before on the pitch.
In a fierce encounter in 1974 between the Leone Stars and Mali, according sports annals, in the archives, the visiting squad came strong and determined to knockdown the hosts on their home soil in what turned out to be one of the most exciting and entertaining encounters in African football!
The Malians put up a fierce performance occasionally raiding the Leone Stars defence sending shocking waves among the spectators!
In the 85th minute, King Kama received a long pass which he chested and put under control between his powerful feet!
The jam packed stadium started “leaning ” as the mesmerised spectators went hey wire as Kama displayed his best dribbling skills beating and breaking through a forest of legs of Malian defenders before launching a thunderous strike that left the Malian goalkeeper, Karamoko Diane and his barrage of defenders in total disarray!
The Malians who now became as dangerous as wounded lions ready to devour their offenders became more aggressive and ever determined to break through the Leone Stars defence, but were constantly kept at bay for the rest of the remaining 5 minutes as the home based players fortified their defence line to the teeth.
When the Ethiopian referee finally blasted his sharp whistle to signal the end of the match, the Malian goalkeeper walked towards King Kama and gave him a warm handshake. The Malian goalkeeper was one of the best keepers in African soccer and was believed to have some mystical powers fortified by charms that made him unbeatable but not for Kama the Hunter who had discovered the secret of hunting and bringing down his targets.
A kind of new slogan came up, after this memorable encounter: “Bamako 1″! Everybody excitingly shouted ” Bamako One “!
For King Kama, no defence line or high profile goalkeeper was invisible before him!
The football legend destabilised and scored against great goalkeepers like Morlaye Camara of Guinea, Robert Mensah of Ghana, Christopher Nipppay of Liberia, Okala of Nigeria, Karamoko Diane of Mali, among others.
However, after his retirement from soccer in 1979, he became a neglected person eroded by poverty and hardship.
Kama became a private driver for a Lebanese merchant in down town Freetown. He later became a shop assistant before finally retiring from retirement.
It could be recalled that the football international star Mohamed Kallon came to his rescue and put him on a monthly salary to enable him meet his basic social needs including his monthly house rent.
In Sierra Leone, we think good life and acceptable living conditions should be reserved exclusively for politicians.
In Cameroon, the famous international striker, Roger Milla has been appointed a life time plenipotentiary ambassador for his country. Milla lives in Yaoundé but receives a monthly salary as a full time ambassador. He is addressed as Monsieur l’Ambassadeur meaning Mister Ambassador.
The Sierra Leone Government has a long history of neglecting our national heroes. For instance, when Ishmael Dyfan was sick and requested for assistance to go for medical treatment in India, the local authorities responded that there was no money.
Only friends at home and abroad came to his rescue! Dyfan was told his lung cancer had reached an advanced stage and had less than a year to die.
From India he went to USA where he lived until he had his home call.
Close friends said Dyfan had willed that he would not like the government to be involved in his funeral arrangements. This was how friends and relatives took over his funeral in USA where he was laid to rest.
Sierra Leone is the only country where rogues and crooks are hailed as heroes! Politicians are evacuated to Senegal where they go to die.
What is really the wisdom behind going to die in Senegal, Ghana, India or in Israel? What not import the technology being sought abroad and make the services available to all Sierra Leoneans?
The people of Sierra Leone don’t have access to medical insurance. Even politicians do not have. Government official are evacuated to Senegal on a case by case basis depending on their relationship with the president and members of the ruling party.
Our hospitals are nothing other mortuaries where patients go to die. The President and his ministers are fully aware of this extremely deplorable state, and this explains why they do not trust the medical facilities they provide for their own people.
Our president flies to India even for a simple conjunctivitis locally called “apollo”.
Kama is now being declared a hero only after his death! What a nation of hypocrites?
Does Sierra Leone really meet the minimum condition to qualify as a country?
Rest in peace Kama. You had been a victim of a rotten political system where thieves and crooks thrive!
May all your selfless sacrifices adequately reward you in heaven.
Rest in peace.
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2017, https:. All rights reserved.
