When Age is Not Just a Number: The Ugandan Victor Emenayo to be Reported to FIFA by his new Employers of Azerbaijan

It’s difficult to talk about the Ugandan Club SC Villa without mentioning its former star player, Victor Emenayo. The two are synonymous. He was a fan darling when he helped them win the Uganda Cup trophy last year with his strength and speed.

However, Emenayo’s club bosses Shahdagh Qusar FK of Azerbaijan don’t feel that way. In an age row, they are now contemplating reporting him to FIFA for falsifying his age, as per the Daily Monitor, a news outlet in Uganda.

Emenayo who insists on being 23 years old, is under investigation by the Azerbaijan football federation after allegedly discovering a passport that suggests he is 28 years old. Further, still, the club says he is 40 years.

For his part, he insists he did not lie about his age. He says he was born in 1993 as stated in his passport according to reports.

“How can anybody claim or ascertain that I am not a 23-year-old merely by my looks? My passport says I was born in 1993, and no one can dispute that.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Are they my parents to say I was born in the year on my passport?’’[/perfectpullquote]

he said.

Media reports say Emenayo’s case is similar to that of the Lazio youth team prospect, Joseph Minala who was recently cleared off any wrongdoing regarding his age by the Italian FA. Minala had to prove he is not 42. His case was traced down to a condition called the Lorde Disease. It turns out he was really a 17-year-old.