The controversial face of the U17 goalkeeper.

Gelson Dala became the center of controversy at the U17 African Championship when hundreds of fans questioned the Angolan goalkeeper's true age.

Gelson Dala sparked controversy with her prematurely aged appearance.

The 2026 AFC U17 Championship has unexpectedly heated up due to a story involving age fraud.

The focus this time is Gelson Dala, the goalkeeper of the Angolan U17 team, who is facing intense scrutiny from the online community regarding his true age.

Following the 0-0 draw against Mali, Gelson Dala was awarded the "Man of the Match" title. However, instead of discussing his on-field performance, social media erupted with controversy surrounding the goalkeeper's appearance.

CAF Online's post on the X platform quickly attracted over 500 comments. The majority of fans felt that Dala didn't look like a 16-year-old player.

Many accounts even used harsh language to criticize the age verification process of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

One fan wrote: "This is a disgrace to African football." Another sarcastically remarked that Dala was "no less than 25 years old," while some even claimed the goalkeeper was "at least 31."

Many comments mocked Dala's appearance. One user commented that zooming in on the photo revealed "gray hair," while others questioned why such cases still occur in the U17 tournament.

According to Transfermarkt records, Gelson Dala was born on September 22, 2009. CAF has not yet issued any official response regarding this controversy.

In fact, age fraud is not an unfamiliar story in African football. In 2024, the Cameroon Football Federation suspended 62 players for falsifying their age. Before that, the Democratic Republic of Congo also disqualified dozens of players after their MRI scans failed.

Gelson Dala's case thus continues to fuel controversy surrounding age verification in African youth football.

Source: https://znews.vn/guong-mat-gay-tranh-cai-cua-thu-mon-u17-post1651976.html