Cameroonian midfielder accused of age cheating
Cameroonian club Victoria United has come to the defense of Wilfried Nathan Doualla amid accusations of age cheating.
The 17-year-old midfielder's inclusion in the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations raised eyebrows, leading to his suspension from the domestic league by Cameroon's football federation (Fecafoot) along with 61 other players.
Despite not featuring in the Nations Cup finals, Doualla's alleged age discrepancy could potentially result in sanctions for Cameroon, as per tournament regulations. Fecafoot's move to suspend Doualla and others aims to address identity fraud prevalent in the domestic game.
Doualla, previously known as Alexandre Bardelli in the Cameroonian league, is under scrutiny for discrepancies in his registration. Victoria United maintains Doualla's innocence, attributing the situation to potential errors by Fecafoot.
This scandal is not the first of its kind in Cameroon, with previous instances of age fraud surfacing in national teams. Such incidents tarnish Cameroon's football reputation and risk penalties from governing bodies like the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Journalist Giovanni Wanneh warns of the detrimental impact on Cameroon's football credibility and international player transfers, emphasizing the need for stringent measures against age fraud.
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