Sierra Leone, Tanzania Endorse ‘Football Hearts’

The Football Associations of Tanzania and Sierra Leone are the pace-setting national bodies that have openly declared support for the Football Hearts charitable foundation that was recently set up.

Football Hearts is an awareness project that aims to stem the tide of heart-related diseases and cardiac arrests in football. The football world has been shaken a few times in the past weeks with the passing of former England star Ugo Ehiogu and Ivorian Cheikh Tiote; both while on their respective training grounds.

The project was publicly declared on June 26, commemorative of the 14th year memorial of the death of Marc-Vivien Foe, who also collapsed and died of cardiac arrest while playing for his country Cameroon at the 2003 Confederations Cup.

President of the Tanzania Football Federation Jamal Malinzi stated that ‘this is a laudable project that anyone should and would naturally like to identify with. And I, and the TFF, are in full support of the initiative’.

On her own part, President of the Sierra Leone FA Isha Johansen released a statement saying “Losing a player, whether an iconic veteran or in active service is devastating. Football is the world’s most emotionally charged and pulsating thrill of all sports. Sadly, this excitement has become a real concern and worry as increasingly, our heroes and future stars are falling victim to sudden cardiac arrest on the pitch’.

She promised that her Association under her leadership will play an active role to ‘educate and support in any way we can to protect the lives of the players who make our hearts beat harder with sheer excitement at what they do’.

Johansen called on her colleagues and the wider football fraternity to identify positively with the cause and join hands ‘to make a difference’.