German star Youssoufa Moukoko, player of the German team Borussia Dortmund - of Cameroonian origin - entered the list of players suspected of falsifying their real age, in light of the recent age-falsification scandal that hit Cameroonian football.

According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail", a number of English clubs have become "reluctant" to contract with the player after reports were received that he was one of the players whose age may have been falsified.

And the English clubs Newcastle and Chelsea are among the most Premier League clubs that put the player’s name on the list of players they want to sign at the end of the current season.

Growing doubts

Mokoko - who caught the eye with Dortmund and carried the colors of the "Manshafts" national team - moved to Germany at the age of 14 before being adopted by a German family.

The British newspaper quoted German and Austrian media sources as skeptical that the player's real age is 22 years old and not 18 as recorded in the official documents of his club Dortmund and the German Federation for the game.

Mokoko in the Germany national team shirt (Getty Images)

The same reports claim that a birth certificate dating back to the year 2000, bearing the name of Yousoufou Mahamadou, was found and sent to the press by Moukoko's adoptive father, who says it does belong to the player.

German media explored the player's past, whether before moving to Germany or when he arrived there, and among the things that raise doubts - according to the same sources - is that many pictures of his adolescence were bringing him together with people older than him.

For its part, the German Federation for the game refused to comment on this news, and said in response to a question on the subject, "We cannot respond to these allegations."

recurring theme

The issue of a player falsifying his age, and being over 18 years old, is not new;

In 2017, the German Federation denied everything that was being circulated about the player's age, confirming that he was born on November 20, 2004.

The German Federation also confirmed at the time, in a letter sent to Bild newspaper, that "the federation made all possible investigations with the help of Borussia Dortmund."

However, a statement from his former coach revived the controversy and doubts surrounding him, after he said that he "actually doubts his true age, given the physical capabilities he has."

"When I look at Youssef, the first thing that comes to my mind is that his age was determined only by guesswork," Dortmund's under-23 coach Timo Brewis said at the time.

He added, "Maybe he is, in fact, two or two years older than his age, but he is certainly not at the age of 17. For him, this is very difficult, and we cannot blame him in any way, as this is not his responsibility and he never cheats."

investigation and scandal

A local investigation revealed that 21 out of 30 players who were called up to participate with the under-17 national team in the Central African Championship had forged their ages, after undergoing accurate MRI examinations.

In turn, the Cameroonian Confederation recognized this crisis, after it issued an official statement in which it said, "In preparation for a regional tournament that qualifies for the upcoming U-17 African Nations Championship, 21 players out of 30 who are currently training failed in the results of MRI tests."

The ages of most of the Cameroonian national team players are under 17 years old (Getty Images)

"They were immediately removed from the list, and immediate procedures were initiated to summon others," he added.

"This measure was taken as a result of the strict instructions issued by the President of the Federation, seeking to put an end to the manipulation of civil status records that in the past tarnished the image of the High Commission of Cameroon," the statement said.

"The Cameroonian federation urges all actors and officials - especially the coaches - to ensure respect for the ages according to the category," the statement said.

Last summer, the Cameroonian Federation summoned 44 players representing 8 clubs, in order to investigate them on charges of falsifying data.