There has been speculation about Youssoufa Moukoko’s age for years. Now the father, Joseph Moukoko, has sworn that the German international was not born on the day stated in official documents and that he is not his biological son either.
“Youssoufa Moukoko is not the biological son of me and my wife Marie. He was not born on November 20, 2004 in Yaoundé, Cameroon,” says Joseph Moukoko’s affidavit, which the sports show was allowed to view.
The broadcaster “Pro7” announced that the Moukoko case would be covered in the report “Tricking, cheating, deceiving – the million-dollar business with football talents”, which will be shown on Sunday (December 15, 2024) at 7 p.m.
Marc Eschweiler, Sportschau, December 13, 2024 7:03 p.m
It was not clear to Sportschau in the affidavit whether there was information about a different date of birth. 73-year-old Joseph Moukoko told the researchers in the report produced for “Pro7” that Youssoufa was four years older than previously stated.
Joseph Moukoko contradicts earlier statement
With the affidavit signed on August 1, 2023, Joseph Moukoko contradicts an affidavit previously submitted in court proceedings in which he claimed the opposite. German law provides for a prison sentence of up to three years for false statements made under oath.
A spokeswoman for the Hamburg public prosecutor’s office confirmed to Sportschau that Joseph Moukoko would face investigations for making false statements on oaths. Joseph Moukoko is registered in Hamburg. The document that sets Youssoufa Moukoko’s date of birth as November 20, 2004 is certified by the Hamburg-Harburg registry office.
Borussia Dortmund refers to documents from German authorities
Youssoufa Moukoko currently plays for OGC Nice in the French top league. He was loaned out by Borussia Dortmund at the start of the season. Moukoko is under contract with the Bundesliga club until 2026.
Youssoufa Moukoko in the OGC Nice jersey
When asked by Sportschau about the new development, Borussia Dortmund said: “In the case of Youssoufa Moukoko, the biological parents and dates of birth are derived from official identification documents and birth certificates issued by a German authority. These documents are valid to this day and are the basis for playing rights and approvals for clubs, entirely whether at home or abroad, and of course for association teams such as the German U21 national team.”
In the “Pro7” report, Joseph Moukoko gives the impression that Borussia Dortmund knew that Youssoufa was older than stated in the German documents. When asked, BVB said it would not comment beyond the statement quoted above.
In the 2022 World Cup squad
Youssoufa Moukoko came to Germany from Cameroon in 2014 and initially played for FC St. Pauli. Two years later he moved to Dortmund. His goal tally as a center forward was enormous, which is why he was quickly considered a “prodigy”.
Youssoufa Moukoko in the U15 at FC St. Pauli
One day after his 16th birthday in November 2020, Moukoko became the youngest Bundesliga player in history. His development did not go up as quickly as many had predicted, which is why then national coach Hansi Flick surprised him by naming Moukoko to the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Also due to the high-quality competition, Youssoufa Moukoko moved to OGC Nice on loan in August.
Moukoko became German champion with Borussia Dortmund’s U17s in 2018, and won the European Championship with the German U21s in 2021, but did not play in the tournament.