Meet Nathan Doualla: The AFCON 2023 Cameroon Teenager Suspended Over Age Fraud Along With 61 Others

• Wilfried Nathan Doualla was suspended from football-related activities by Cameroon authorities
• A total of 62 footballers were booted out by the country's FA over an alleged age fraud scandal
• Doualla was part of the Cameroon squad for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast

Controversy struck in Cameroon last December when Wilfried Nathan Doualla was named in the Indomitable Lions' final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The footballer claimed to be a 17-year-old, but he does not look it, sparking reactions from football fans across the continent and beyond.

Doualla appeared at the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast as the youngest player, but one month later he was suspended by the Cameroon FA (FECAFOOT).

Reports from Yaounde have it that the football federation suspended him alongside 61 others for concealing their ages.

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Football

Who is Nathan Doualla?

According to an official statement from the country's FA, Douala was born in 2006, Marca reports.

He made the Cameroon squad that reached the second round of the recently concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

Although he had no minutes on the pitch during the tournament, he was spotted with Ivorian legend Didier Drogba.

Footage of him went viral as he led the Indomitable Lions to match venues, carrying bluetooth speakers and dancing.

He currently plays in the midfield for local club Victoria United.

Age fraud scandal rampant in Cameroon

In 2023, no fewer than 21 out of the 30 players in the Cameroon U17 national team were caught during MRI scans, as the Cubs prepared for a Central African Football Federations' Union (UNIFFAC) tournament.

The competition served as qualifiers for the 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that was held in Algeria.

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Former Ghana star decries age cheating

Sports Brief earlier reported former Hearts of Oak and Ebusua Dwarfs midfielder, Joe Tagoe narrated how he almost exchanged his life for money after reducing his age to secure a contract abroad.

Tagoe decreased his age to 21 after earning a deal to play in Egypt.

However, it ended up affecting his move after he was handed rigorous training routines. He trained with the first team and youth side regularly.