Cameroon Suspends National Team Player, 61 Others For Using False Identities

The Cameroon Federation FECAFOOT has suspended Wilfried Nathan Douala and 61 other local league players on Monday for using fake names and lying about their ages.

Douala, who was part of the national team for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, is accused of changing his name and age.

Douala, who is said to be 17 years old and plays for a second-division team called Victoria United, was chosen for the national team by coach Rigobert Song even though he had not played internationally before. People questioned his actual age after seeing his pictures on the internet.

A French newspaper, Le Monde, claimed that Douala had played in the Cameroon league before under a different name, Alexandre Bardelli, and was older than 21. The newspaper tried to get answers from the Cameroon Football Federation before the team went to the Ivory Coast, but they did not get any response.

Although Douala was with the Cameroonian national team, he didn’t get to play in any AFCON game.

The rules state that if a team is caught lying about a player’s details, it will be banned from the next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Also, if a player is registered incorrectly, the team will be banned from the next tournament.

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