Cameroonian soccer is once again hit by an age fraud scandal. This time, it is the players of the national under-17 team that are at the heart of the controversy. Among the 30 players in training for the Uniffac tournament 2023, qualifying for the next African Cup of the category, 21 were rejected after the IRM tests.
The unfortunate ones were immediately ejected from the Cubs' den and measures have been taken for their immediate replacement. According to the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot), this action is the result of "strict instructions given by the president" in order "to put an end to the fiddling on the civil status (of players) that have, in the past, tarnished the image of the umbrella body of Cameroonian soccer.
The federation has recently come under serious criticisms for withholding the list of pre selected players for both the U 20 and U 17 national teams. Same reproach has been made concerning the list of players in camp for the CHAN 2023 competition in Algeria. Till date no official list of selected players has been made public for the final preparatory camp currently holding in Yaounde.
Since his election a year ago, Samuel Eto'o has indeed made the fight against age fraud one of his priorities. On June 17, 2022, the president of the Investigation Chamber of the Ethics Commission of the Federation had already pinned 44 players for age cheating.
As things stand the federation is yet to make public the list of players to replace the rejected ones.
