The young star of German football, Youssoufa Moukoko (20), is once again at the center of public attention in Germany after a man claiming to be his father revealed a startling deception.
Joseph Moukoko, 73, who is listed as the father of the Borussia Dortmund footballer currently on loan at Nice, confessed that he is not Youssoufa’s biological father and that he falsified his age.
In a sworn statement, Joseph admitted to having reduced his adopted son’s age by four years, deceiving the world.
“Knowing the legal consequences of false testimony, I declare under oath: Youssoufa Moukoko is not the biological son of my wife Marie Moukoko and me. He was not born on November 20th, 2004, in Yaounde. I obtained a fake birth certificate for him in Yaounde, then went to the embassy, obtained a passport for him, and brought him to Germany as my son. He was actually born on July 19th, 2000. We reduced his age by four years, so the papers show he was born on November 20th, 2004,” Joseph stated.
This revelation came to light in a documentary film, potentially undermining several of Youssoufa’s records, such as being the youngest Bundesliga debutant and scorer, the youngest Champions League debutant, and the youngest German international to play in a World Cup.
German media also noted Joseph’s employment in Dortmund as a video analyst and scout, initially earning 10.000 euros monthly, later doubling his salary.
“My wife worked for an agency affiliated with Borussia Dortmund’s sponsor, Evonik, while I was employed by Borussia Dortmund. This is how we received money every month without actually working,” Joseph confessed.
Last year, German journalists investigated Youssoufa’s origins in Cameroon but failed to locate his birth certificate at the civil registry.
Following these allegations, Borussia Dortmund issued a statement two days ago:
“Regarding Youssoufa Moukoko, the biological parents and birth date are derived from official identification documents and birth records issued by a German authority. These documents remain valid today and serve as the basis for player registration and club authorizations, whether domestic or international, including teams like the German U-21 national team. Additionally, the player and his biological parents, in these official documents, confirmed the accuracy of the information in sworn statements during legal proceedings. This factual status is decisive for us, the German Football Association, and the player’s current club.”
This season, Youssoufa Moukoko is playing on loan for Nice, where he has scored two goals and assisted two in 13 matches across all competitions. For Dortmund, where his contract runs until the summer of 2025, he has recorded 18 goals and 8 assists in 99 appearances, Klix.ba writes.
