Former Kenya U17 international Medina Abubakar is calling out for well-wishers to help her secure surgery.
The captain of Uweza Women FC in the FKF Women National Super League who represented the country in the 2021 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, has not been able to play well following an injury she sustained while representing the nation three years ago.
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In an interview with Bencho Sports, Medina shared the struggles she faced since being injured during her stint with the U20 national team Reflecting on her first call-up to the U17 team, she recalled the disappointment of being dropped at the last moment due to a paperwork issue.
“I trained well, and everything was okay, but I was surprised on the last day of travelling to be dropped with the explanation being I didn’t bring my birth certificate. I felt bad about it because I didn’t understand what was going on,” she said.
Her next chance came when she was called up to the U20 national team after finishing school. Medina featured in a match against Uganda but faced a life-changing injury within the first ten minutes.
“In that match, in the first ten minutes, I got injured and was taken off. Even after being told I was injured and couldn’t play, I was asked to get back and help the team. A few minutes later, I got injured again,” she continued.
Medina was treated on the sidelines and later substituted as she couldn’t continue playing. The next day, she was informed that her injury rendered her unfit to help the team. Alongside another injured teammate, she was sent back home.
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“We were given our passports and fare to get back to Kenya. I felt like in football, one shouldn’t be sent home because they are injured, especially when they are already part of the national team representing the country,” she explained
This experience deeply affected Medina, leading her to consider quitting football altogether. “I felt like football couldn’t help me anymore after that heartbreak, and I even told my home coach I didn’t want to do anything with football,” she revealed.
Her coach however encouraged her to undergo an MRI, which revealed a lateral and meniscus tear. The player however revealed that she hasn’t been able to secure surgery since her documents were tampered with during her time at the national team and hasn’t been able to secure an ID.
“It’s now four years, and I’ve not been able to get a national ID. Though I have a passport, the ID would help me raise money to get that surgery done, but it’s impossible,” she lamented.
Medina also questioned why the national team never followed up on their agreement to care for injured players.
“I still don’t know why the national team never took care of my injury. They made an agreement that in case of anything, they’d take care of us. I told the coach of the issue, but no one followed up,” she said. Her fellow injured teammate, eventually quit football, feeling that the national team ruined her career,
“My friend Vero who also got injured quit football saying ‘Harambee Starlets ruined her career’.”
Despite the challenges, Medina’s love for football keeps her fighting. Her injury continues to cause her physical and financial struggles, but she remains hopeful.
“I wake up every morning hoping for the best. I urge any football lover to help me get treated. I’ve missed good deals of joining big teams because of the injury. It’s so difficult for me,” she said, adding a heartfelt plea for assistance.
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