Africa Sports

CAF investigates player ‘born five years after mother’s death’

Guelor Kanga
Guelor Kanga

Gabonese player, Guelor Kanga, is reportedly under investigation by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for identity fraud.

The attacking midfielder, who’s been playing in Europe for about a decade now, is being accused of not only taking more than five years off his actual age but also falsifying his nationality.

Officially, the Red Star Belgrade footballer is 30 years old and was born in Oyem, Gabon, on September 1, 1990.

However, the Federation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo affirms that this is not possible, since they know that his mother died in their country in 1986 and that he was born in Kinshasa in 1985.

He claims he is Gabonese and plays for the national team, alongside Arsenal captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is also the skipper of his national side.

Aubameyang is 31 and Guelor, according to the Gabonese Football Federation records, is 30.

Kanga, who is originally from Congo, was petitioned by CAF after the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA) launched a complaint against Gabon for fielding in a player who frauded his identity.

FECOFA believes that the player is in fact Kiaku Kiaku Kiangana who was born on October 5, 1985, in Kinshasa, DRC.

“We hereby inform you that CAF has opened an investigation into the case in question. You are kindly requested to send us your comments concerning the allegations mentioned in the correspondence of FECOFA in order to allow us to submit the complete file to the competent bodies of CAF,” CAF said in a letter written to Gabon.

Red Star Belgrade also commented on the issue insisting that they trusted the player.

“He played in Russia and the Czech Republic and had no problems whatsoever. We see this information as a war between the two alliances over the African Cup of Nations, in which Kanga is collateral damage. We hope that the situation will be resolved as soon as possible in favour of Gelor Kanga,” the club said.

He has so far appeared for the Panthers 46 times since making his debut nine years ago.

The development now puts Gabon on the verge of disqualification from the 2021 AFCON finals.

Kanga featured for Gabon in all of their six 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier matches including both legs against DR Congo.

SOURCEnairobinews.nation.co.ke

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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