Wilfried Nathan Douala, the youngest player on Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations team, is one of 62 players punished for age fraud, which has landed him in hot water.
Douala’s placement in the Cameroon team earlier this year caused some controversy because of his limited experience and his position as a first division player for Victoria United.
Douala, who is uncapped, was the youngest player in the tournament at age 17 because his AFCON registration stated his birthday as May 15, 2006.
But Douala is now facing punishment after the Cameroonian Football Federation included his name on a 62-man list of players who are alleged to have fabricated their ages.
Beyond Douala, the issue has affected 15 clubs in Cameroon, where at least one player has been suspended for age falsification.
Douala was frequently spotted dancing with his teammates on the way to the dressing room, even though he did not play during the AFCON.
Age fraud accusations have been a problem for Cameroon in the past.
Prior to the Under-17 AFCON competition in Algeria last year, age tests were failed by 21 players out of the 30-man national squad.
The president of Cameroon’s football regulatory body, Samuel Eto’o, responded to the ongoing problem by requiring age tests for all players in an effort to “put an end to the tampering with civil status records which have, in the past, tarnished the image of Cameroon football.”
To assure the correctness of players’ ages and preserve the integrity of the game, age tests use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the wrist to evaluate bone fusion in the joint.