By Oni Ladonette Ondesa
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
Former Young Boys winger to spearhead awareness efforts as irregular migration among young Africans reaches critical levels
The International Organization for Migration has secured a significant signing off the pitch, appointing Cameroon international Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu as its latest celebrity supporter to tackle the growing crisis of unsafe migration routes across Africa.
The 30-year-old winger, who has turned out for the Indomitable Lions on more than 40 occasions, will use his platform to promote legal migration pathways and warn young Africans, particularly aspiring footballers about the dangers of irregular routes to Europe.
It’s a campaign with genuine urgency. Migration data reveals a troubling trend. Increasing numbers of young Cameroonians are attempting perilous journeys through the Sahara Desert and across the Mediterranean, with many ending in exploitation, trafficking or worse.
Among them are teenage footballers chasing the dream of trials at European academies, often falling prey to unscrupulous agents and people smugglers.
I’m privileged to lend my voice to protect lives and dreams through safe migration for young Cameroonians and Africans,” said Moumi Ngamaleu, whose own journey took him from Cameroon’s domestic league to successful stints in Austria, Switzerland and Russia.
The Reality Behind the Dream
The statistics paint a sobering picture. According to recent IOM figures, Cameroon has become a major source country for irregular migration in Central Africa, with thousands attempting the treacherous journey annually.
The situation mirrors broader continental trends, the African Union estimates that millions of young Africans migrate irregularly each year, with many driven by limited opportunities at home and unrealistic expectations of life abroad.
Football, Africa’s most popular sport, has become both inspiration and risk factor. For every Samuel Eto’o or Sadio Mané who made it to Europe’s top leagues, countless others have been stranded in North African transit hubs or lost at sea.
Youth academies in Cameroon report regular approaches from unregistered “agents” promising trials abroad, often demanding upfront payments from desperate families.
Moumi Ngamaleu’s credentials make him an ideal messenger.
The attacking midfielder helped Cameroon to third place at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and built his European career through legitimate channels, moving from Cameroonian side Cotonsportports Academy to SC Rheindorf Altach before successful spells at Young Boys Bern and Dinamo Moscow.
His journey resonates strongly with young people across Cameroon and beyond and reminds us that ambition must be supported by safe and informed pathways,” said Abdel Rahmane Diop, IOM Cameroon’s Chief of Mission.
The appointment highlights sport’s complex relationship with migration. While football has provided legitimate opportunities for thousands of African players, with proper contracts, work permits and support structures, it has also created dangerous myths about easy routes to European success.
Migration through sports, when done correctly, can be transformative. Players like Moumi Ngamaleu obtain work visas, professional contracts and legal residency. But IOM return data shows many young people attempting irregular migration cite football dreams as motivation, often carrying fake trial invitations or having paid substantial sums to fraudulent intermediaries.
The campaign will target this gap between aspiration and reality, using Moumi Ngamaleu’s story to promote legal pathways including official academy partnerships, recognized scouting networks and educational migration programmes that combine sports training with academic qualifications.
This partnership reflects our commitment to working with the sports sector and other partners to mobilize resources, scale prevention efforts, and invest in initiatives that protect lives while nurturing the aspirations of young people,” Diop added.
With youth unemployment across Central Africa exceeding 30% in many regions and climate change increasingly affecting rural livelihoods, the pressure on young people to seek opportunities abroad continues to mount.
The IOM hopes that peer-to-peer messaging from successful athletes like Moumi Ngamaleu, someone who navigated the system successfully will prove more effective than traditional awareness campaigns.
For now, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions winger is taking on a new role. Not breaking down defenses on the pitch, but breaking down dangerous misconceptions about migration off it.
The International Organization for Migration, founded in 1951, is the leading UN-related body promoting humane and orderly migration worldwide.
French 
English