The youngest player on their roster for the Africa Cup of Nations in January is among the 62 players the Cameroonian Federation has punished for age fraud.

FECAFOOT unveiled the official roster over the weekend, which features 17-year-old Wilfried Nathan Douala, who was an unexpected addition to Rigobert Song’s team for the Ivory Coast competition.

As per FECAFOOT, the captain of Victoria United misled Wilfried Nathan Douala on his age, leading to his disqualification from participating in the Elite League play-off matches.

Douala, whose true age is unknown, has been suspended along with 61 other players for lying about their age.

According to FECAFOOT, the Victoria United skipper lied Wilfried Nathan Douala 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 aims to lessen the administrative issues previously faced during and after the end of the Cameroonian football season. 

Song did 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.

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 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. 

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