''A Federation never exposes it's athletes even if there are evidence. Unfortunately the kids have been condemn in this case.''
The opening sentences of SNA's exchange with a Cameroonian football expert who sheds light on the recent case of 21 U17 Cameroon footballers termed ''cheats'' by the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) in a communique signed by the Spokesperson of the federation.
Didn't you hear FECAFOOT coming out to back Onana during the drug case?
Hope some of you know that after this communique the federation is supposed to send the names of these guilty age cheats to appropriate bodies including FIFA for proportionate sanctions?
According to our source, failing the MRI test does not automatically translates to age cheating as it is been heralded by the Cameroonian federation.
'' FIFA and CAF never qualify those who fail MRI as cheats. They simply say they are ineligible. So many factors can cause an underage to be above the FIFA recommended MRI limit of grade four. Most often those above are overaged but it's not a rule. There are so many exceptions '' he insists.
'' Fabrice Ndzie (Former captain of the U17s that won the 2019 AFCON in Tanzania) was in grade two for three UNIFFAC tournaments and two AFCONs. He left the category cause of his age on his passport. So MRI is not an exact indicator of age cheating '' he says.
According to FIFA Laws as well as Cameroon's civil status, anyone tagged with age cheating is bound to legal and administrative procedures that could end with fines and bans. Their names have to be sent to FIFA's ethics commission for eventual investigations if FECAFOOT really is fighting against age cheating
'' Today we identify these 21 kids whose names we have published as cheats. Who will believe their age in Europe tomorrow. If the Federation has proves they have cheated as mentioned in the communique then they should be prosecuted as that is a criminal offense.''
