In Cameroon, several football players have lied about their age. A fraud that is commonplace on the continent, where players hope for longer careers.
On December 29, the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) announced that “21 players out of the 30 currently training with the U17 team failed after the MRI tests”. At the origin of these exclusions, age fraud: the MRI of the wrist of the players had made it possible to analyze the maturation of the bones and thus to determine that the ages advanced by the players - supposed to be under 17 - weren't good.
This phenomenon of age fraud is not new in Africa. In 2020, Guirane N'Daw, then a very young retiree – he was officially 35 years old – admitted having lied about his age. The former player of Sochaux, Nantes, Saint-Étienne, Metz and Lens, but also passed through England and Spain, said then: "In Africa, I do not even say in Senegal, the player who does not decrease not his age will not be able to be professional. This is the reality whether we like it or not. What is certain is that in Senegal, 99% of players have reduced their age.
A practice which, if it is not easy to evaluate, does exist. We remember that, in September 2018, the African Football Confederation (CAF) had excluded Benin from the CAN U17 qualifiers for having lied about the ages of its players. A scourge that has also affected other countries, from Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), via Burkina Faso or Mali.
Age does not improve talent
Clubs have been trying for several years to stem the phenomenon by conducting surveys to verify the ages of its players. But not easy, without medical means. CAF has more resources, with frequent MRI tests: since 2005, the body has been carrying out these tests during youth competitions. Countries, such as Gabon, have also decided to make checks from MRIs.
If the players think that lying about their age will ensure them a longer career, perhaps it is also necessary to say to themselves that it is necessary to embark on prevention. According to Joseph-Antoine Bell, former Cameroon international goalkeeper, “from the moment we understand that increasing age does not improve talent, we will have taken a step forward. We must punish those who organize the fraud, even if some accept it”.
Age fraud "only benefits for a limited time", assures the ex-guardian who evolved in France. Silas Nwankwo, Joseph Minala, Victor Emenayo or even Francis Uzoho… Many Africans, however, use this deception. However, other players have been accused of having lied about their age without knowing the reality: the fault , also, to current practices. In some countries, parents sometimes wait several years before declaring the birth of their child.
For the others, we are rather faced with accusations of cheating: "The cheating is on average three years between the real age and the announced age, even if we are presented with official papers", assures Eugène Diomandé, the president of Séwé Sport in San Pedro, Ivory Coast.