The story of the forgotten Joseph Minala. What happened to the footballer who looked 40 at 17?

The name of this footballer will probably be a big question mark for many. For those who are hearing about him for the first time, he is a former Lazio Roma footballer who has been accused of lying about his age.

The former midfielder of the Italian capital club, faced countless accusations and allegations of lying about his real age after his arrival.

The Cameroonian footballer arrived at Lazio Roma at the age of 17, but from the beginning, speculations have been wandering around the internet world that there is definitely something amiss.

In fact, one African football website stated that the footballer is over 25 years old, making him 42. The case was investigated by the Italian Football Association, which concluded that the allegations were false and there was no reason for further disciplinary action.

Joseph Minala was thus confirmed as 17 years old and his football career could begin. As soon as passions subsided a little, the African midfielder was sent on loan to second league side Bari. He played eighteen games but did not convince.

He didn’t impress in the fourth Italian league or in his second attempt at Bari. He spent the next three years at Salernitana. The club had an option for a permanent transfer, which he did not exercise.

So the youngster returned to Rome, from where he travelled to the other side of the world on loan to Chinese side Qingdao Huanghai. On his return to Europe, he became a free agent after Lazio did not extend his contract.

So, in his prime, he signed for Lucchese, a club that plays in the third Italian league. He stayed there for less than a year, after which he also joined Olbia as a free agent.

Joseph Minala is currently an uncontracted player. His guest stint in Latvia, where he stayed only three months and played in three games, did not work out. As crazy as it sounds, Minala will celebrate his twenty-seventh birthday next month.

Source: Wikipedia, Twitter