AFCON 'age-cheating' teen's real identity revealed?

With the youngest player at the recent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations now facing age-cheating allegations, a bombshell report has seemingly revealed his true age and identity.

Wilfried Nathan Douala has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, as he was recently banned from taking any further part in the Cameroonian top-flight amid allegations that he falsified his age. 

The midfielder shot into prominence after being named in Cameroon's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad at just 17 years old, making him the youngest player selected for the tournament. Prior to the competition, the supposed teenager was trending on social media after many noted that his appearance did not seem like that of a 17-year-old boy. 

Read: SCANDAL: AFCON's youngest player 'caught age-cheating'

Those suspicions appear have become true after the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) announced that he was one of 62 players who have been deemed ineligible to compete in domestic competitions due to discrepancies surrounding his real age. 

A stunning report by French outlet Le Monde has allegedly confirmed another identity of Douala, as they had previously interviewed a player bearing a striking resemblance to the star in question just two years earlier. 

The individual in question was named Alexandre Bardelli and said he was 21 years old at the time. Bardelli was believed to have the same scar on his right eyebrow and identical tattoos to Douala.

Both players have the number 69 on their left arm, a cross near the right hand, and three black strips below their left knee.

Le Monde's investigation has also shown that the number Bardelli provided was the same as Douala's mother, who is said to have been evasive after the publication called her to verify the identity of her child.

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