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.