The Democratic Republic of Congo's U-16 team sparked controversy on social media after winning the African Schools Championship on Sunday, held in the Congolese capital Kinshasa with participation from six teams. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, awarded the home team the championship title, which emphasizes education and social development in Africa, in the presence of Patrice Motsepe, President of the African Football Confederation (CAF), and Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General.
Media and social media users questioned the actual ages of players on the Congolese team, particularly due to the noticeable difference in fitness during the final match against Senegal, which ended with a 3-1 victory for Congo. There were also apparent differences in physical build and muscle mass between the two teams. Player number 10 and captain, Illya Balamuabo, gained significant attention in recent hours after being named the tournament's best player, with his images circulating widely.
A Ghanaian newspaper, "kickgh," reported that photos of the Senegal U-16 team indicated they participated with their real ages, while the Democratic Republic of Congo team raised doubts and shocked the world by including mature men.
After the award ceremony, Infantino expressed in statements to FIFA's official website: "I am very happy to see these children smiling; this is the beauty of football. The Democratic Republic of Congo did a fantastic job organizing this event, the first edition of a great competition that will become one of the largest not just in Africa but across the world as well."
The tournament took place over two days at the Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa and saw the participation of six countries in separate competitions for boys and girls (South Africa, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Senegal).
