Football Federation Suspends 17-year-old Africa Nations Cup Youngest Team Member, 61 Other Players For Age Fraud

The Cameroonian Federation has suspended 62 players for age fraud, including the youngest member of the country’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations held in January.

The official list was released by FECAFOOT this weekend and it includes 17-year-old Wilfried Nathan Douala who was a surprise inclusion in Rigobert Song’s squad for the tournament in the Ivory Coast, Mail Online reports.

According to FECAFOOT, the Victoria United skipper lied about his age, and therefore the player has been disqualified from appearing in the Elite League’s play-off games.

Douala’s real age hasn’t been disclosed, but he joins 61 other players who have also been suspended for concealing their ages.

The move comes as FECAFOOT aim to lessen the administrative issues previously faced during and after the end of the Cameroonian football season.

Song received praise for spotting Douala playing in the domestic league, and he was the shock inclusion in his squad for the tournament.

However, the midfielder failed to get on the pitch during the competition as Cameroon were knocked out in the last 16 by eventual finalists Nigeria.

It’s the third year in a row that Cameroon have been hit with a suspension for age fraud.

In the summer of 2022, Cameroon’s football federation summoned 44 players from eight different clubs for a hearing into alleged age or identity cheating, with the federation president Samuel Eto’o keen to eradicate the problem in the central African country.

Six months later, in January 2023, there was a fresh scandal after 21 members of their Under-17 squad were disqualified over the issue.

Age fraud has been a long-running concern for African football, with many of their junior-level international successes clouded by allegations of over-age players.