Professional footballer: how to avoid falling after retirement? | OneFootball

Africa

Professional footballer: how to avoid falling after retirement?

50% of footballers face financial difficulties five years after retirement. Yet some have earned in a single season what a top executive makes over an entire career. This harsh reality outrages Louis Fernand Tchameko, a former Cameroonian professional turned entrepreneur.

Louis Fernand Tchameko: from the pitch to the boardroom

Trained at Union Sportive de Douala in the 1990s, Louis Fernand Tchameko reached the elite level. Aigle Royal de Dschang, Stade FC de Bandjoun, and then a spell in France at Olympique Lyonnais, invited by Bernard Lacombe. But injuries stalled his rise. His European career ended in the lower divisions.

He returned to Cameroon and launched into the construction business with Afric Asphalt SA. The company grew to over 650 employees, with Tchameko holding a 50% stake. Success followed… until disaster struck: 1.65 billion CFA francs embezzled, about 2.5 million euros. But he refused to give up. “This experience, although painful, made me stronger,” he admits. With his FIFA agent license in hand, he decided to use his experience to help others. That’s how LFT International was born.

Why do athletes struggle after their careers end?

Short careers. Poor money management. Family pressures. And above all, a lack of financial education. Louis Fernand Tchameko puts it bluntly: “88% of athletes do not prepare for retirement.” Add to that scams, bad advice, poor investments. And in Africa? The situation is even more complex. There are few resources to help with career transitions, and few concrete solutions. This is the gap LFT aims to fill. Because, “I personally experienced the collapse after success,” he explains.

LFT International: protecting pro athletes after the glory

According to data from Schips Finance and the UNFP, 50% of footballers encounter financial trouble within five years of retiring. 80% of NFL stars and 60% of NBA legends lose everything after their careers. In response, Louis Fernand Tchameko launched LFT International, an organization that guides athletes toward successful post-sport lives.

With LFT International, he wants to address this urgent need. His promise? To offer athletes solid, secure wealth-building solutions based on three pillars:

His goal? To prevent today’s stars from becoming tomorrow’s forgotten heroes. “I lost a lot in the past. Today, I help young athletes avoid making the same mistakes,” he says.

Three pillars for a successful post-career according to Louis Fernand Tchameko

“We need to shift from a ‘spend it all’ mentality to a ‘build for tomorrow’ culture,” Tchameko insists. He advocates for mandatory support programs within African federations. Because protecting athletes also means strengthening the image of sport across the continent.