Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Joseph Essama
Published on 2024-03-16 18:30:46
Victoria United, the employer Club of the young rising star of the Indomitable Lions, Nathan Douala, has announced that they have reached an agreement with the Turkish club Antalyaspor for the signing of a professional contract with the young player whose age scandal has been making headlines. The contract with the Turkish first division club is expected to take effect from the next transfer window, according to Valentine Nkwain, the president of the current club of the young player. However, several facts suggest that this may be a fake deal.
The young player Nathan Douala continues to make waves, as yesterday his club Victoria United announced that “we are pleased to announce to the public that our football club has officially signed today, March 14, a partnership agreement with the Turkish first division professional club Antalyaspor for the implementation of joint activities. The two clubs reached an agreement after a two-day working session at the headquarters of Antalyaspor. The president of our club, Nkwain Valentine, and Erden Erdal, head of international relations and strategic planning at Antalyaspor, agreed on the following clauses: Agreement for the service of Wilfried Nathan Douala and Ewane Fils Enopa,” the club announced. When contacted by phone, the president of Victoria United clarified that the contract for the two players will take effect from the next transfer window, without mentioning the amount of the transaction or the duration of the contract.
This announcement raises several doubts. Suspended by FIFA for not complying with the contractual clauses of several players, including Sagiv Jehezkel, the Turkish first division club is not allowed to recruit players for the next three transfer windows. It is therefore almost impossible for such an agreement to be reached between the two clubs.
When asked about this, Valentine Nkwain initially stated that the Turkish club had not informed him of this sanction, before adding that Antalyaspor had settled its debts and fines. However, the FIFA Knowledge Management Portal, which publishes the weekly list of clubs currently banned from recruiting new players, clearly indicates that the Turkish club is still suspended.
Off the record, our sources at Antalyaspor maintained that no transfer had been made regarding the Cameroonian midfielder. At the time of publishing this article, it is reported in the Turkish press that no contract has been signed between the 17-year-old Cameroonian player and the Turkish first division club. “I spoke with Antalyaspor’s infrastructure coordinator, Ferda RamanlI, about this (regarding Nathan Douala). He told me that there had been a meeting about Nathan Douala, but no agreement had been reached. He also emphasized that even if the footballer were to be transferred, it would not be possible without a bone test,” explained Turkish journalist Koray Gecgel. This information was confirmed by the Turkish newspaper Spor in its publication of March 16, 2024.
When contacted again, Valentine Nkwain, the president of Victoria United, reiterated his statements. “We cannot talk about a transfer. It is a cooperation between our two clubs. The two players will go to Antalya as part of our cooperation. In this cooperation, when we have a player we want to sell, we must first present them to Antalya,” Valentine Nkwain explained, adding that “he did not disclose the transfer amount because there is just a memorandum of understanding between Antalyaspor and his club.”
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
