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FootballFC Porto set to dump DR Congo defender over suspicion of falsifying his age
- Fc Porto set to dump DR Congo defender over suspicion of falsifying his age
- There is a lot of confusion surrounding former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba’s age
- Mbemba’s contract at Porto runs out at the end of the season and the club is reportedly unwilling to renew because of the age controversy
- The DR Congo international has had four different birthdays reported by media over the years
Former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba’s career at FC Porto is on the verge of an abrupt end after explosive reports claim the club is ready to do away with him for falsifying his age.
Mbemba, a DR Congo international, is out of contract at the end of the season and despite his talents at the back, Porto are unwilling to see him renew his deal.
The reason the club want him to walk away for free at the end of his contract is because it is believed Mbemba is actually 33 years, instead of his registered 27.
Eight years ago, CNN came up with a damning report that suggested Mbemba had at least four different birthdays, with dates ranging from 1988 to 1994.
In the early stages of his career, Mbemba, while playing for clubs in DR Congo, had his birthday registered as 1988.
The year of his birth however changed to November 30, 1991 when he played for DR Congo in an African Cup of Nations qualifier in 2011.
He would go on to join Belgian outfit Anderlecht, who have his birth date registered as August 8 1994 on their database.
This would indicate that Mbemba was only 21 when he joined Newcastle United in 2015 for £7.5 million.
To add on to the confusion, the defender has been on record saying his birth year was in 1990.
As per The Sun, Mbemba further claimed that he underwent bone tests to ascertain that indeed, he was born in 1994.
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Football“I got bone tests done and, as me and my friends all know, the results prove what my age is. I just go out and play football, no misinformation," he said as quoted by The Sun.
An investigation as launched by FIFA nine years ago and a member of the Congolese FA admitted that Mbemba’s age had to be adjusted so he could fit the ‘under 23’ promising youngster profile to boost his chances at success in Europe.
No regrets on AFCON, says Kei Kamara
Elsewhere, Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara said he had no regrets on his side’s performances in the Africa Cup of Nations after a painful exit on Thursday, January 20.
Kamara missed a penalty late in the game as Equitorial Guinea won 1-0 in a game which Sierra Leone would have used to secure a ticket to the last 16 had they forced a draw.