Cameroon’s 17-year-old football star suspended for false identity

Wilfried Nathan Douala, an alleged seventeen-year-old footballer from Cameroon, made headlines as the youngest player at the AFCON tournament.

However, his selection raised eyebrows due to his inexperience and as doubts about his age began to emerge.

Despite being hailed as “the most mature 17-year-old in the world,” Douala never appeared for the national team and was not included in any match-day squads during the tournament.

His selection came under further scrutiny when he was suspended for falsifying his identity.

French newspaper outlet Le Monde allegedly confirmed Douala’s true identity by uncovering his resemblance to a player named Alexandre Bardelli, who claimed to be 21 years old and played for Oryx football club in Cameroon.

Both players shared similar physical features and tattoos, leading to suspicions that they were the same person.

However, contacting Douala’s mother, Le Monde found her to be restrictive about the matter, suggesting there were nicknames involved, and his relatives only acknowledged a “resemblance” between the two individuals.

The Cameroonian federation was contacted by Le Monde before the AFCON, but they did not respond.

Now, the Confederation of African Football may open an investigation into fraud or identity theft, potentially resulting in Cameroon’s exclusion from at least two AFCON tournaments.