VIDEO: Another FIFA Scandal – Underage African Footballers Trafficked Illegaly To Asia

Despite FIFA forbids the transfers of teenage footballers until they reach 18, yearly as many as 15,000 underage African players are trafficked to Asia, where they meet harsh reality instead of their dreams.

Underage African footballers are trafficked illegaly from Africa.

Young African football players, who travel to South-East Asia in hopes of making their dreams come true, face terrible living conditions.

Instead of expert training, medical care and accommodation they have to face harsh reality which is very different.

14-year-old Liberian footballer Kesselly Kamara says that “to my greater surprise when we went to the stadium, they asked us to clean a stadium and they told this is where you gauys are going to be staying – and the place was really messed up.” He added that “the following day they brought some flat mattresses, like of refugee or displaced persons of something”.

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The room where they were supposed to stay, was dirty, exposed – and some got sick as a result. At just 14 Kamara was called to the senior team in Laos where he even scored goals.

But he should never have been playing: FIFA rules bar players under 18 years old from even joining a foreign academy or club. But according to his documents, Laos doesn’t give a damn about that: Kamara signed a contract – that’s also banned for minors. And Kamara says he was never paid.

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After the month in Laos the boys’ visa has expired. Some of them got help from football players’ body FIFPro to return to West Africa, but many of minors refuse to go home. Still in Laos, they are in illegal and dangerous position.

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FIFA says now it is investigating the case that could be only tip of the iceberg. It is estimated that as many as 15,000 young footballers are moved out of West Africa every year – and very few of them legally. And this fact raises questions about future prospects of football in Africa drained from young talents.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday, July 20, left the press conference site after being showered with fake dollar bills by the British comedian Lee Nelson.

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