Football association takes action
Cameroon bans 62 players for age fraud
Status: 12.03.2024 | Reading time: 2 minutes
Age is more than a number: the Cameroon national team is also affected by the bans
Quelle: picture alliance/empics/Lenoir Records
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Under Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroon Football Association has committed itself to the fight against identity fraud. Now the organization is taking tough action. Several dozen players were banned. Including a supposedly 17-year-old child prodigy.
There are always discussions in football about the age and identity of players. Especially among players from Africa, rumors often arise about alleged cheating and incorrect passing off the pitch. In German professional football, there have been corresponding investigations into HSV player Bakery Jatta and Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko in recent years.
In Africa itself, the issue has a different dimension, as has now become clear. The Cameroonian national association, the Federation Camerounaisede Football (Fecafoot), had launched extensive investigations and last weekend published an official list of several dozen player names who were accused of age fraud and are now being severely sanctioned. The association banned 62 players.
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A great success for association president Samuel Eto’o. The 43-year-old former FC Barcelona striker, in office for three years, has committed himself to the fight against fraud. As early as January 2023, 21 of 30 players were removed from the U17 national team squad. The year before, Fecafoot had summoned 44 players from eight different clubs to a hearing over alleged age or identity fraud. The latest measure, however, represents a new dimension in the fight against cheating.
Prodigy Douala affected
Wilfried Nathan Douala, who caused a stir at the Africa Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year, is also affected. Douala was surprisingly nominated and presented as a 17-year-old prodigy. Coach Rigobert Song’s team was eliminated 0-2 in the round of 16 against eventual finalists Nigeria.
After the Africa Cup it was over: Rigobert Song was not eliminated for reasons of age
Source: dpa/Mike Egerton
For the youngest player in the Cameroon squad, who is under contract with Victoria United at home, the league has now come to an early end. Douala was barred from participating in the Cameroon Elite League play-offs as part of the suspension.
