Wilfried Nathan Douala, a purported seventeen-year-old soccer player from Cameroon, gained attention as the youngest participant in the AFCON tournament. However, questions arose about his age and experience.

Despite being dubbed as "the most mature 17-year-old in the world," Douala never actually played for the national team and was never included in any match-day squads during the tournament. His selection faced further scrutiny when he was suspended for misrepresenting his identity.

French newspaper Le Monde revealed that Douala bore a striking resemblance to a player named Alexandre Bardelli, who claimed to be 21 years old and was part of Oryx football club in Cameroon. This led to suspicions that they may be the same person.

While Le Monde tried to clarify the situation by contacting Douala's mother, she was evasive and only acknowledged a likeness between the two individuals. Despite attempts to inform the Cameroonian federation before the AFCON, they did not respond.

It is now possible that the Confederation of African Football may investigate the situation for fraud or identity theft, potentially resulting in Cameroon being excluded from future AFCON tournaments.