Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

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Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

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Cameroon football is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 Under-17 players are disqualified after the whole squad had to undergo MRI scans to check how old they are
Cameroon have been hit by a fresh age fraud scandal after 21 members of their Under-17 squad were disqualified over the issue.

Back in the summer, Cameroon's football federation summoned 44 players from eight different clubs for a hearing into alleged age or identity cheating, with president Samuel Eto'o keen to eradicate the problem in the central African country.

But Eto'o has been dealt another setback in his bid to thwart their age fraud crisis after the majority of players selected for this year's UNIFACC tournament - contested by the Under-17 sides of Central African Football Federations' Union countries - were disqualified after failing MRI tests.

The tests are used to determine a player's age by scanning their wrists and measuring bone growth.

A Cameroon statement read: 'The Cameroonian Football Federation informs public opinion that as part of the preparations for the UNIFFAC Limbe 2023 tournament, qualifying for the next African U17 Nations Championship, 21 players out of the 30 currently on training have failed at the outcome of the MRI tests.

'They were immediately removed from the group. Steps were immediately taken for their replacement.

'This action is the result of strict instructions given by the President of FECAFOOT acting under the mandate of the COMEX, in order to put an end to the tampering with civil status records which have, in the past, tarnished the image of the apex body of the Cameroon football. FECAFOOT urges all actors, in particular educators, to ensure that the ages by category are respected.'

Cameroon have recently come under criticism for withholding the list of selected players for both their Under-20 and Under-17 teams.

There are also said to be concerns regarding their squad for this year's African Nations Championships, with an official list of players still not made public ahead of their opening game on January 16.

Age fraud has been a long-running concern for African football, with many of their international successes at junior level clouded by allegations of over-age players.

Accusations have regularly been made but there has seemingly been little attempt to investigate it from the authorities.

One of the better-known cases involved former Cameroon international Tobie Mimboe, who was found to have been providing birth certificates that suggested he got younger over time.

In 2019, Guinea were disqualified from the Under-17 World Cup after two of their players were found guilty of age-cheating.

Back in 1989, FIFA banned Nigeria from their age-group tournaments after finding that the birth dates of three of their players in the 1988 Olympics were different from ones used by the same players in previous tournaments.

After becoming the Cameroon federation's president in December 2021, Eto'o promised reform of the game in the country and stepping up his efforts for exactly that.
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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by joplass »

The tip of the iceberg. Cheating and corruption live in Cameroon and go visit other countries once in awhile.
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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by Comrade Machel »

joplass wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:11 pm The tip of the iceberg. Cheating and corruption live in Cameroon and go visit other countries once in awhile.
:rotf:
Ratlala :thumbs: :D

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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by Cito »

joplass wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:11 pm The tip of the iceberg. Cheating and corruption live in Cameroon and go visit other countries once in awhile.
Love that line and will borrow it if you don't mind... :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by Kabalega »

I think footie federations need to start punishing the player’s handlers like schools, coaches and academies.

But this large number of failures alludes to something else ….?
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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by folem »

More Cameroon U-17 players fail age testing enforced by Eto'o
Cameroon's Under-17s face a race against time to field a team for regional African Cup of Nations qualifiers after more players failed age tests ordered by Samuel Eto'o, president of the country's governing body, Fecafoot.

The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker's insistence on using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screening saw the squad ravaged at their training camp in Mbankomo, on the outskirt of Yaounde.

Of the initial 30-member group, 21 failed the tests.

But BBC Sport Africa now understands Cameroon have suffered a fresh setback as 11 new players also failed tests on Tuesday, with coach Jean Pierre Fiala struggling to find replacements.

Cameroon host Congo, Chad, DR Congo and Central African Republic for the Central African Football Federations' Union (UNIFFAC) qualifiers between 12 and 24 January, with two teams progressing to April's Under-17 Nations Cup in Algeria.

A Fecafoot statement said Eto'o gave "strict instructions" for the actions to be taken "in order to put an end to the tampering with civil status records which have, in the past, tarnished the image of Cameroon football.

"Fecafoot urges all actors, in particular educators, to ensure that the ages by category are respected."

The fight against age cheats

Many of Africa's international successes in junior tournaments have been clouded by allegations of the use of over-age players.

Fighting age cheats in men's and women's football in Africa
Football's world governing body Fifa introduced MRI scans at the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, which took place in Nigeria.

The MRI works by scanning the wrist to study how advanced the bone structure is

In 2017, Fecafoot blocked 14 players from taking part in the Under-17 Afcon in Gabon after they failed the tests.

Eto'o promised to take action to combat the long-running problem when he was elected Fecafoot president in December 2021 and Simon Lyonga, a journalist with Cameroon's national broadcaster CRTV, says the decision to weed out age cheats has been applauded by the public.

"Here in Cameroon, people are by and large pleased that Fecafoot actually seem to be doing something to try to stop the cheating," Lyonga told BBC Sport Africa.

"It is important for the country to give chances to players of the right age."

Cameroon have twice been continental champions at Under-17 level, in 2003 and 2019.
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Re: Cameroon is rocked by age fraud AGAIN as 21 out of 30 U-17 players are disqualified after MRI scans

Post by Eaglezbeak »

They don’t use birth certificates until they want to play football abroad so they pick an age that suits them.
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