Cameroonian club Victoria United has come to the defence of Wilfried Nathan Doualla following accusations of age-cheating levelled against the midfielder.
Doualla, reportedly aged 17, caused surprise when included in the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. However, Doualla is among 62 players suspended from the domestic league by Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot) due to double identification or age fraud.
Despite his inclusion, Doualla did not feature in this year’s Nations Cup finals, where Cameroon was eliminated in the last 16 by Nigeria.
Questions arose about Doualla’s age and authenticity after social media comments emerged alongside the player’s initial pictures.
His involvement in the national squad could result in a ban for the five-time African champions from future tournaments if his registration is proven to be falsified.
According to Nations Cup regulations, any fraudulent registration could lead to the suspension of the national association concerned from the following two editions of the tournament.
Victoria United, Doualla’s club, and six of his teammates have been affected by Fecafoot’s decision to disqualify players from appearing in the Elite League’s playoffs until their identities can be verified.
Doualla is alleged to have previously played in the Cameroonian league under the name Alexandre Bardelli, registered as over the age of 21.
A French newspaper, Le Monde, uncovered the discrepancy before the 2023 Nations Cup and sought clarification from Fecafoot, which declined to comment.
Victoria United has defended Doualla and teammate Nji Richmond, stating they do not have double identities and attributing any discrepancies to errors by Fecafoot.
This scandal is the latest in a series of age-fraud incidents affecting Cameroon, which has previously faced scrutiny and sanctions for similar violations. Such incidents may tarnish Cameroon’s reputation and may lead to caution from international clubs in recruiting Cameroonian players.