One-time Lazio wonderkid Joseph Minala has experienced a drastic fall in his career - a fall which the player attributes to certain factors.
The Cameroonian made the news in 2013, when he signed for Italian giants Lazio, from Vigor Perconti at the age of 17.
However, he was accused of age falsification, with many claiming that he was 42 years old then.
His figure and appearance certainly don't cut across like one who was born in 1996, but that led to people falsely accusing him of lying about his age.
Minala had to battle through clearing his name, and after being cleared of any wrongdoing, he was able to get his career back on track in 2014.
Unfortunately, Joseph Minala couldn't break into the first team of Lazio after amassing a few appearances.
The 27-year-old has gone on to play for several clubs in his career, clubs not as glamorous as SS Lazio.
The Cameroonian played for several Italian clubs, including; Bari, Latina, and Salernitana.
Joseph Minala was also offered an opportunity to prove his mettle in the Chinese Super League for Qingdao Huanghai in 2020.
The former Latina man joined the Chinese side on loan on February 28, 2020, for a fee of €250,000, and he made 16 appearances for the club, scoring no goal and providing no assist.
Minala left Lazio in October 2021, joining Serie C side Lucchese until the end of the campaign.
On August 23, 2022, Joseph Minala joined Olbia on a one-year deal, but fast-forward to January 2023, his contract with the Italian club was terminated by mutual consent.
The midfielder subsequently joined Latvian Higher League side FK Liepāja on March 3, 2023, on a free transfer and he was with the club until July 2023.
Minala left FK Liepāja to join Maltese Premier League club Sliema Wanderers and that's where he currently plies his trade.
Joseph Minala has made 20 appearances for the most successful club in Malta, scoring 2 goals and providing no assists in all competitions.
The ex-Lazio man looks to be enjoying his football in the country, but in an interview with Calciomercato, Minala claimed that the controversy surrounding his age stunted his career.
He said: “I was very young and I couldn’t know or predict the resonance this would have. I’m convinced that the age story has always held back my career.
“I’ve always been judged for an off-pitch affair and never for my performances, in my first year as a professional at Bari I made 19 appearances and scored four goals.”
Minala also stressed on his lack of playing time at Lazio, blaming Simone Inzaghi for not offering him the opportunity he deserved.
Joseph Minala said: “He didn’t give me the chances I deserved. As the first player he focused on in the youth academy, I expected a chance in the first team.
“I was a bit disappointed, I saw that players of a lower level were given the chance and I was sent out on loan.
“There were also teams that were interested, but then they pulled out because of the scandal about my age.”
Meanwhile, as aforementioned, he was cleared of age falsification in April 2014 after an investigation conducted by the Italian Football Association.
An African football website had initially suggested that Joseph Minala, who was 17 at the time, was 25 years older than he was (42 years old), based on reports from the BBC.
This put the player under the spotlight before he was cleared of any wrongdoing, and allowed to press on in his career.
Despite making his Serie A debut at 17, Minala made just 4 appearances for Lazio, scoring no goal and providing no assist in all competitions.
The Cameroonian made the news in 2013, when he signed for Italian giants Lazio, from Vigor Perconti at the age of 17.
However, he was accused of age falsification, with many claiming that he was 42 years old then.
His figure and appearance certainly don't cut across like one who was born in 1996, but that led to people falsely accusing him of lying about his age.
Minala had to battle through clearing his name, and after being cleared of any wrongdoing, he was able to get his career back on track in 2014.
Unfortunately, Joseph Minala couldn't break into the first team of Lazio after amassing a few appearances.
The 27-year-old has gone on to play for several clubs in his career, clubs not as glamorous as SS Lazio.
The Cameroonian played for several Italian clubs, including; Bari, Latina, and Salernitana.
Joseph Minala was also offered an opportunity to prove his mettle in the Chinese Super League for Qingdao Huanghai in 2020.
The former Latina man joined the Chinese side on loan on February 28, 2020, for a fee of €250,000, and he made 16 appearances for the club, scoring no goal and providing no assist.
Minala left Lazio in October 2021, joining Serie C side Lucchese until the end of the campaign.
On August 23, 2022, Joseph Minala joined Olbia on a one-year deal, but fast-forward to January 2023, his contract with the Italian club was terminated by mutual consent.
The midfielder subsequently joined Latvian Higher League side FK Liepāja on March 3, 2023, on a free transfer and he was with the club until July 2023.
Minala left FK Liepāja to join Maltese Premier League club Sliema Wanderers and that's where he currently plies his trade.
Joseph Minala has made 20 appearances for the most successful club in Malta, scoring 2 goals and providing no assists in all competitions.
The ex-Lazio man looks to be enjoying his football in the country, but in an interview with Calciomercato, Minala claimed that the controversy surrounding his age stunted his career.
He said: “I was very young and I couldn’t know or predict the resonance this would have. I’m convinced that the age story has always held back my career.
“I’ve always been judged for an off-pitch affair and never for my performances, in my first year as a professional at Bari I made 19 appearances and scored four goals.”
Minala also stressed on his lack of playing time at Lazio, blaming Simone Inzaghi for not offering him the opportunity he deserved.
Joseph Minala said: “He didn’t give me the chances I deserved. As the first player he focused on in the youth academy, I expected a chance in the first team.
“I was a bit disappointed, I saw that players of a lower level were given the chance and I was sent out on loan.
“There were also teams that were interested, but then they pulled out because of the scandal about my age.”
Meanwhile, as aforementioned, he was cleared of age falsification in April 2014 after an investigation conducted by the Italian Football Association.
An African football website had initially suggested that Joseph Minala, who was 17 at the time, was 25 years older than he was (42 years old), based on reports from the BBC.
This put the player under the spotlight before he was cleared of any wrongdoing, and allowed to press on in his career.
Despite making his Serie A debut at 17, Minala made just 4 appearances for Lazio, scoring no goal and providing no assist in all competitions.