Rigobert Song has been flown to France after waking up from a two-day coma.
The former Liverpool defender was in a critical condition following a stroke in his native Cameroon on Sunday but is now on a road to recovery.
Song, 40, waved to well wishers outside the Yaounde Emergency Centre on Tuesday as he prepared to be flown to a Paris hospital for further treatment.
Ex-Barcelona midfielder Alex Song spoke on behalf of his uncle’s family.
He said: “At this moment my family is living difficult times.
“We are touched by the love and support of Cameroonians and elsewhere.”
Song made 35 appearances for the Reds between January 1999 and late 2000 during which he won an Olympic gold medal with Cameroon.