Youssoufa Moukoko’s career is currently surrounded by controversy. In the latest twist in the ongoing saga about the footballer’s age, Joseph Moukoko, who has until now been recognised as his father, has sworn under oath that he is not Youssoufa’s biological parent.

According to a document obtained by the German newspaper Bild, Joseph stated: “In full awareness of the penalties for making a false sworn statement, I declare under oath: Youssoufa Moukoko is neither my biological son nor that of my wife, Marie Moukoko. He was also not born on 20 November 2004 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.”

This statement directly contradicts the official narrative that has underpinned Moukoko’s career, who is currently on loan from Borussia Dortmund to Nice.

Moukoko ‘father’ allegedly reveals falisified official documents

In a documentary broadcast on ProSieben, Joseph Moukoko revealed that he had falsified official documents to manipulate Youssoufa’s age. According to his testimony, he acquired a fraudulent birth certificate in Cameroon and arranged for a forged passport to pass Youssoufa off as his son. “He was actually born on 19 July 2000. We made him four years younger. He is now officially listed as being born on 20 November 2004,” Joseph claimed.

If true, these allegations mean Youssoufa would have exceeded the age limits for numerous youth competitions. This includes Borussia Dortmund’s U-17 team, with which he won the league title in 2018, and Germany’s U-21 side, which triumphed at the European Championship in 2021 after defeating Portugal in the final.

The revelations follow Bild’s investigations in Cameroon, which uncovered no record of Youssoufa Moukoko’s birth in 2004. However, they did find evidence of a Youssoufa Mohamadou, born in 2000, registered as the son of Ousman Mohamadou, a local taxi driver. In the neighborhood where Youssoufa grew up, multiple residents confirmed that his biological father lived nearby, in a villa occupied by Ousman Mohamadou rather than Joseph Moukoko.

Borussia Dortmund, however, continues to express confidence in the official German documents verifying Moukoko’s identity and age. The club’s communications director, Sascha Fligge, stated: “Youssoufa Moukoko’s biological parents are documented based on official identity papers and birth certificates issued by a German authority. These documents remain valid and serve as the foundation for his eligibility to play at youth levels, both domestically and internationally, as well as for the German U21 national team.”