It’s a real thunderclap on the horizon of Cameroonian football. At the heart of a controversy surrounding his age just before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Wilfried Nathan Douala has just been unmasked by Samuel Eto’o’s FECAFOOT, a new version under the watchful eye of the Head of State, Paul Biya.
Things are starting to move in Cameroon. In the wake of the 2023 African Cup of Nations fiasco, Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, has stepped up to the plate to call for proper management of football in his country. Determined to clean up the Republic’s image in football, he even decided to take the lead by choosing a new national team. Apparently, the awakening began with one of the big affairs shaking the country, in particular the selection just before the CAN 2023. On Monday, the news of Wilfried Nathan Douala’s exclusion spread like wildfire.
Bitter news for Nathan
Suspected of identity fraud, the young player from Victoria United (a local first division club) will not play in the Elite One play-offs for double identity. In a statement issued by the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), headed by Samuel Eto’o, the young nugget, well, Victoria’s star player, has been excluded from this mini-league along with 63 other players. Presented as a 17-year-old player born on 15 June 2006, Nathan Douala, whose appearance is a mystery to many, will have to prove to Cameroon’s football governing bodies that he does not have a double identity.
🔴 62 joueurs dont Nathan Douala et plusieurs autres internationaux sont provisoirement déclarés inéligibles par la FECAFOOT pour les play-offs (MTN Elite One) pour double identité :
— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) March 11, 2024
▪️Yong Sport academy (13 Joueurs)
– Arnaud Messanga Messanga
– Fabrice Kamaka Fils
– Njiberu… pic.twitter.com/jn3iWJZdQ7
The matter is currently causing a stir and raising many questions about FECAFOOT. Ahead of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, the selection of the talented Victoria United player has caused a stir. While the owner of the club and Samuel Eto’o were suspected of several schemes, Rigobert Song decided to bring Wilfried Nathan Douala to this prestigious competition at the expense of other regulars who could help. During his stay in Côte d’Ivoire, the 17-year-old distinguished himself away from the pitch.
Victoria United on the back foot
Thanks to the great communication put in place during the CAN 2023, Nathan has become a celebrity in the football world everywhere because of his particular dance steps before each Indomitable Lions match. In the meantime, he has been mentioned in the plans of Saudi Arabian clubs, but the player who has now been unmasked has been dealt a major blow with this age fraud affair. His club, Victoria United, is at the heart of several controversies in the league.
Last week, Victoria United president Valentin Nkwain won his case before the appeals committee, securing two prestigious points in a dispute with another club. With the points won by decision of the FECAFOOT appeals committee, the Nathan Douala club has qualified for the play-offs, which are due to start soon. The president of Victoria, who has been accused of scheming and favouritism with Samuel Eto’o, has defended his position.
“The law is the law, it affects everyone.
“Yes, Victoria United have qualified for the play-offs. The law is the law, it affects everyone. I myself have been affected by this law. I lost 9 points in this championship. You can see me in my sports kit, but people don’t know how determined I am. You don’t mess with a genius,” said Valentin Nkwain, the former photographer turned billionaire and club president. Today, the law is hitting his team hard, as Wilfried Nathan Douala is his team’s best player. The big question is why didn’t FECAFOOT carry out investigations beforehand, and why is it only after the African Cup of Nations that things are coming to a head?
What do you think of Nathan Douala’s situation? Is he the victim of a directly-sponsored sweep?
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