Joseph Minala embodies the extraordinary fate of one of the most infamous cases of age fraud in the world of football. In 2014, Joseph Minala faced allegations of employing counterfeit passports and misrepresenting his age. The haggard visage of the purported 17-year-old athlete stirred the football community, yet Lazio successfully demonstrated that “the lad is indeed young” despite his appearances suggesting otherwise.
Cameroonian footballer Joseph Minala, of the Lazio club, ignited a firestorm of controversy a decade ago when accused of falsifying passports and birth certificates to present himself as a 17-year-old lad rather than a 42-year-old seasoned veteran.
Typically, when we encounter a young footballer, it’s due to their potential or intriguing playing style. However, Joseph Minala, at 17, presented a markedly different narrative. Despite not yet making his professional debut and not fitting the prodigy mold, Minala still appeared to be a promising player.
This midfielder transferred to Lazio at the age of 15, was scouted by Lazio in 2013, and was slated to debut for the club in early 2014. Upon Minala’s arrival at Lazio, jests among the club’s fans in Rome circulated, suggesting, “In reality, this lad is over 40.”
Matters escalated when an African sports website asserted that the Cameroonian player had altered his passport to feign being 17 instead of 42. The story quickly gained traction as images of Minala circulated worldwide, sparking varied opinions on the matter.
While appearances are subjective, Minala’s mature countenance and robust physique lent credence to the accusations. He didn’t resemble a typical teenager, but his defenders argued that some individuals simply appear older than their age.
Minala made his debut for Lazio on April 6, 2014. Meanwhile, the Italian Football Association conducted an investigation. Undoubtedly, this was an extremely tense ordeal for the “young lad” from the continent known for footballers falsifying their ages, such as Cameroon or Nigeria.
Minala was detained for questioning by the Italian Football Federation prosecutors. Fortunately, the investigation yielded a favorable outcome, stating that there was no basis for disciplinary action, and the Cameroonian player was indeed 17. “He looks older due to growing up in poverty and having to mature quickly,” some argued.
As a result, thanks to Lazio and Minala actively dispelling reports and providing necessary documentation to prove his true age as that of a “young lad,” Minala was cleared of all age fraud allegations to focus on his Serie A career.
Unfortunately, that marked the end of the joyous news for Minala, as his career struggled significantly in the years following the scandal. Perhaps the stress of the event took its toll on him, as he endured the 2014/15 season on loan at Bari (Serie B), scoring three goals in 18 appearances.
The midfielder was loaned to Latina and Bari again the following year but made little impact at both clubs. In January 2017, a new loan move beckoned for the 1.75-meter defensive midfielder. This time, he was sent to another Serie B side, Salernitana, with a renewed loan agreement including a purchase option.
He spent a half-season with the club, scoring four goals in 52 appearances in the league, before being sent back to Lazio. Minala failed to make any appearances in the subsequent season, unable to compete with teammates like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Milan Badelj, and Marco Parolo in the pecking order.
It’s a sad situation for a player who had several outings for the Cameroon U23 team and was believed to have a bright future in his early career. Now, at the age of 27 (if accurate), Minala seems to have lost his way in high-level competitions.
Age, sorry, talent, just enough for him to become a journeyman player for lower-tier leagues. After failing to develop at Lazio, he eventually bid farewell in 2021, joining lower-tier teams such as Lucchese and later Olbia.
Minala departed Italy last year after a brief stint in Latvia with FK Liepaja. Additionally, he ventured into the Far East, playing in the Chinese Super League for Qingdao Huanghai.
Minala’s aggressive playing style might be a valuable asset for a lower-tier team, but he might be most remembered for a wild controversy he never sought or deserved.
Currently, Minala continues to ply his trade in a lesser-known football league on a small island “rife with bizarre occurrences,” though it’s still in Europe: the island nation of Malta.