The Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) has suspended 62 players for lying about their ages. The group includes Wilfried Nathan Douala, the youngest player selected for the national team in January’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
The announcement, which came over the weekend, said that Douala, previously celebrated as a 17-year-old talent in Rigobert Song’s team for the tournament in Ivory Coast, was found to have provided false information about his age.
He will now not participate in the Elite League’s playoff games.
While Douala’s exact age was not revealed, he is among a large number of players facing suspension for age fraud.
This move by Fecafoot is part of ongoing efforts to address administrative challenges that have emerged during and following the football season in Cameroon.
Douala, originally praised for his performance in Cameroon’s domestic league, which led to his selection by Song, did not play in the Africa Cup of Nations, where Cameroon exited in the last 16 after losing to Nigeria.
This is the third consecutive year that Cameroon has dealt with suspensions related to age fraud.
In 2022, the federation investigated 44 players from eight clubs for potential age or identity fraud, an initiative led by federation president Samuel Eto’o to eliminate the issue.
A scandal unfolded in January 2023, with 21 members of the Under-17 squad disqualified for similar reasons.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Wilfried Nathan Douala.
Image source: X
