"He had a difficult childhood-" Italian Club slams reports that 17-yr old Cameroonian player Joseph Minala is 40

You all heard of this 17 year old Cameroonian footballer who had to close down his facebook account due to insults he received regarding his age...Joseph Marie Minala who is 17 plays for Italian club Lazio and a Senegalese website claimed he told them his real age is 41 not 17 as stated in his documents. He denied that report but that didn't stop people from raining insults on him.

His club Lazio were forced to release official documents and threaten legal action to prove a youth team player was still a teenager and not in his 40s.The Italian club and Minala's agent rubbished claims that he was a cheat, producing the paper work to prove he was the correct age.Lazio denounce this latest attempt from hostile figures to throw a sinister light on this club,' said a club statement.

'We reserve the right to take action against those responsible for the protection of the good name of the company and the footballer.'

His agent, Diego Tavano, told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport:

 'He had a difficult time growing up. If you talk to him you’ll realise he is in every way a 17-year-old lad.

The Cameroonian attacking midfielder joined the Roman giants last August and has impressed at youth level.
More photos below