Wilfried Nathan Douala and 61 other Cameroonian players have faced suspensions for providing false information about their ages.
A shocking age fraud scandal has shaken the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), leading to the suspension of 62 players who were found guilty of misrepresenting their ages, some by more than a decade, according to reports from Pulse Sports.
Among those implicated in this unprecedented controversy is Wilfried Nathan Douala, the 17-year-old sensation from AFCON 2023. Despite being hailed as a rising star during the tournament, FECAFOOT’s investigation revealed discrepancies in Douala’s age, leading to his suspension and that of 61 others for allegedly maintaining “double identities” and concealing their true ages.
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A statement on social media explained, “These 62 players, including Douala, were suspended for double identity: they are suspected of having concealed their true age.”
Nathan Douala, who gained fame at AFCON 2023 before returning to Victoria United, now faces significant challenges in his budding career due to these revelations.
The age fraud scandal not only poses integrity issues for FECAFOOT and CAF but also raises concerns about the prevalence of age manipulation within African football youth setups. FECAFOOT’s decisive action suggests that this situation might only be the beginning of a more extensive problem.
Nathan Douala’s reputation as a teen prodigy, which he seemed to embody during AFCON, has been tarnished by the scandal. Questions about his age had already surfaced before the tournament, where he failed to make a single appearance for the Indomitable Lions, prompting discussions among football enthusiasts on social media.