The sport has recently been blighted with a host of medical problems with some leading to loss of life by its performers across the various continents.

Though efforts are been geared at remedying the problems, it appears enough has not been done in the past.

Football medicine plays a vital role in the modern game today and it has aided the recovery of players from career threatening injuries.

At the opening session of the Confederation of African Football’s four-day Medical Conference in Accra, Ghana Football Association President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, stressed the need for Football Associations to give special attention to football medicine to meet the current trends of the game’s development.

Kwesi Nyantakyi in his opening speech at the 2nd CAF Medical Conference on Football Medicine on Tuesday which had medical representatives across the continent, renowned speakers on sports medicine and CAF medical committee members in attendance, said most National Associations must include football medicine in their programmes and resource the Medical Committees of their national teams for them to carry out their duties successfully.

“The conference is being organized here at the most opportune time, 3 months away from Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations and at a time when sports medicine has taken centre stage in the technical set-up of most African national football teams."

"We will need to intensify conferences such as this to highlight the issues of sports medicine for the benefit of players and the sport," President of the Ghana Football Association said.

He also announced that the Ghana Football Association has made elaborate room for Sports Medicine in its four-year Development Plan and advised participants to put to bear the knowledge they will gain in the discharge of their duties.

Ghana’s team doctor, Dr Martin Engmann, who heads the Medical Committee of the GFA also called for research into sports medicine to improve the quality of the game.

"As a first step, GFA introduced immediate doping checks in all local competitions to commence from next season."

Dr Engmann also called for the incorporation of Sports Medicine at the Post Graduate Level in the educational structure.

The conference which is a build-up the previous one held in Cairo, Egypt in 2005 is tagged “Nutrition in Africa, myths and beliefs”.

Over 65 participants, including team physicians from the qualified countries to the 26th MTN Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2008 will attend.

Among the topics that will feature in the conference are contemporary research in football, nutrition and football, sudden cardiac death, practical sessions on basic life support and infectious diseases.

A separate section will deal on specialized topics related to doping and nutrition.

This include CAF strategy in the fight against doping; developing a personal plan for players; nutrition in Africa, myths and beliefs; dietary supplements and doping risks; and nutritional supplementation in adolescent soccer players.

Mr Adoum Djibrine, Chairman of CAF Medical Committee said the conference would provide an avenue for medical officers to exchange and share information on sports medicine related issues.