FLASH
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International football has seen many scandals over the past few decades, and one of the most notorious is the forgery of passports by African players trying to integrate into European leagues. A phenomenon that has not only affected the careers of many players, but has also led to harsh punishments and debate about the integrity of the sport.
But if you think that everything is done for big football, you are mistaken, or at least partially, as championships and so-called "small" football serve as a springboard for the "big" European one.
Thus, a more recent and current case seems to be an African footballer part of the Albanian championship, who apparently has confused a little, if you can call it a little 8 years, in his past generalities in Northern Cyprus, or Turkish Cyprus, with the Albanian championship of amateur categories and then professional in Kosovo and Albania.
It concerns the footballer of AF Luftëtari i Gjirokastra, Kalonji Nyanguila. According to the registration system in Cyprus, he results in a year of birth of 1997, while since 2024 he has arrived in Albania with a passport changed to the year of birth of 2005, initially registering in a Category 2 team (formerly Category 3) that plays amateur football teams.
After 6 months, he transferred to Llapi in Kosovo, played there for 6 months and then spent the same amount of time at Partizan U-19, also part of amateur football, and from the beginning of this season in September 2025, he is part of professional football with AF Luftëtar.
At first glance, when such a player becomes active in adult football, the advantage is simply for personal gain, since in youth the age difference is what brings more sporting advantages, while in adults, the deception turns into a personal favor towards the club that signs a contract with him.
Known cases of passport forgery
1. Taribo West (Nigeria)
Clubs: Inter, AC Milan
Disclosure: Taribo West, a defender known for his time in Serie A, was accused of misrepresenting his age. The investigation was aided by concerns raised about his real age over a period of time.
Consequences: Although he continued his career after the allegations, his image was damaged, and any legal outcome was closed due to a lack of complete evidence.
2. Luciano (Brazil)
Club: Chievo
Disclosure: Some reports suggest that Luciano had altered his documents to present a younger age. Investigations led by football federations uncovered his suspicious passports.
Consequences: He was found liable for forgery and faced temporary bans from football.
3. Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
Clubs: Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid
Disclosure: Adebayor faced accusations of misrepresenting his identity documents, as well as his real age, which was picked up by the media.
Consequences: While he was not legally punished, his name became associated with controversy and suspicion, negatively affecting his reputation.
4. Kolo Touré (Elfenbaygu)
Clubs: Arsenal, Manchester City
Disclosure: Early in his career, doubts were raised about his age and the documents he presented. While he was not accused of forgery, his cases reflected the sensitivity of the subject.
Consequences: Although there were no legal consequences, he often faced being labeled as a player with a questionable history.
5. Joseph Yobo (Nigeria)
Clubs: Everton, Fenerbahçe
Disclosure: Yobo has faced suspicions regarding the documents he used to cross into Europe. Investigations conducted during the 2000s have raised various issues about his identity.
Consequences: He was not legally convicted, but the events helped create the dubious image that accompanied him for years.
Why do these cases happen?
African footballers face immense pressure to succeed due to economic and social challenges in their countries. This leads them to make poor decisions, while many players are approached by unauthorized agents who help them submit forged documents. These agents often take advantage of the lack of professional expertise to legally verify these frauds.
Age fraud is a form of child abuse and sports fraud. It ruins the lives of young people by giving them false hope and exposing them to pressures that are not appropriate for their age. Combined with passport fraud, it creates fake “super talents” that, like a sandcastle, crumble when the wind blows.
FIFA and national federations are trying to combat this with medical tests and biometric databases, but the networks of corruption are deep and the profits too big to stop completely./ "Top Channel"
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