The ongoing Under 17 African Cup of Nations in Tanzania has been rocked by accusations of age cheating.
Recently, Moroccan soccer administrative body accused Cameroon of using players who are way over 17. According to the body, the West African nation has a number players who are 25 years old.
The allegations came after Morocco’s loss to Cameroon in a final group B assignment. The young Indomitable Lions triumphed 2-1, a result which saw them seal a place at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.
According to President of the Moroccan soccer body Fouzi Lekjaa, they will report the matter to FIFA since CAF has failed to take appropriate action. He argues the continental body was alerted about the issue.
“I am sorry to say CAF is totally unable to handle this case relating to the age of the players. It is not enough to suspend players who are above the legal age. They should rather disqualify these teams and punish officials who are responsible for this situation,” said Lekjaa
At the ongoing tournament, 6 players were disqualified for age cheating and three of them are Cameroonians. This followed tests which were conducted.
Niger was disqualified for using over aged players at the 2009 tournament. Niger’s disqualification saw Malawi taking their place at the World Cup having automatically earned a semi-final spot.
The semi-final line-up includes Angola, Cameroon, Guinea, and Nigeria. The four teams will represent Africa at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.
