By Oni Ladonette Ondesa
Journalist,kick442.com-Cameroon
For many young Africans, the path out of poverty is through football. The dream is simple: turn professional, secure a contract abroad, and lift their families into a better life. But that dream has become a trap, exploited by a growing network of fraudsters who turn hope into heartbreak.
Across the Continent, weak league structures, lack of player welfare, and limited career opportunities push thousands of players to look overseas. In this search for opportunity, scammers have found fertile ground, leaving behind stolen savings, shattered confidence, and, in tragic cases, lost lives like that of 17-year-old Cheikh Touré from Senegal.
Some players are tricked once. Others fall victim repeatedly. One of them is a Cameroonian footballer from Bamenda, North west region who asked to remain anonymous. We will call him Samuel. At 28, he has lost more than 6 million CFA francs, roughly $10,000, across three separate scams.
Three times beaten, four times shy
Samuel’s first encounter with fraud came during a so-called international trial organized by an academy in Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon back in 2020. He and about 20 other players were asked to pay over 100,000 CFA francs ($170 ) to cover “professional match video and CV profiles” for foreign scouts.
He convinced his parents to raise the money. On the day of the trial, the players were filmed with a single camera, and they were promised feedback in the following days. Samuel recalls, the feedback was “None of the players were eligible for the transfer” and the money lost was non refundable , the video promised never came.
Six months later, Samuel tried again. This time, a Cameroonian based in the United States organized the trial and promoted it with European scouts and the name of former Cameroon international Eric Djemba-Djemba.
“We were more than 250 players who showed up in Douala for that program. They said they would select 20 to market internationally. Players came from Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon. We were told to pay 100,000 francs ($170 ) each for accommodation, food, match videos, and equipment for the period of 2 weeks,” Samuel says.
To their horror, the conditions were shocking. More than 25 players were crammed into small hotel rooms, with some forced to sleep on the floor. Out of the many scouts announced for the program, only Djemba-Djemba appeared that too, only on the final day.He explains he cannot fully ascertain Djemba Djemba’s role in the scheme but suspects he is an acquaintance of the organizer.
Samuel was among the few “selected” players and received an invitation letter from a supposed Spanish club, Club Deportivo Leganés. He signed an agreement promising 10 percent of future earnings to the organizers.
Full of hope, Samuel applied for a visa at the Spanish embassy in Yaoundé.
“My invitation came from a Spanish club. The embassy did not recognize it. We later learned the whole program was fake by some of the organizers collaborators. No one ever traveled. Money and time were lost,” he recalls.
After these two experiences, Samuel avoided anything related to transfers. In early 2025, he decided to try once more from an agent introduced to him by a family friend
“I was introduced to a man claiming to be a FIFA agent. His social media showed the FIFA tag, and he showed me what looked like a license. He mentioned that, he had worked with high profile Cameroon international and as a Muslim, he does not believe in extortion and only wanted to help my career.”
The man asked for over £3,000($3,750 USD ) about two million CFA francs, to finalize documents for a trial in Saudi Arabia, for which Samuel paid. The agent took him to Yaoundé, pretending to prepare for travel only for it to be called off without any tangible explanation. Eight months later, Samuel and his family are trying to get their money back
“The scammers understand their audience,” Samuel says. “They prey on desperation. Some even work with academy owners, pretending to develop young players. Their goal is business.”
He estimates the investment made by his family in his over 10-years as a footballer at over 16million CFA($26,000 ) including training and travel costs to different cities for games and trials. But these losses have not deterred him from his dream.
“I have worked in Europe before and attended trials in a second division club, but I could not sign because my employer would not release me. It has been hard, but I am not giving up.”
Only his father still believes in his dream. “My mother and sisters have lost hope,” Samuel says. “She has seen me disappointed too many times.”
Now he trusts no one. “Whenever someone comes with an offer, I just think, ‘You again.’ Even if it is only 1,000 francs, I will not pay. Never again.”
Samuel’s advices players to treat their interaction with agents as a business venture not charity, ensuring any money to be used has to be in a block account
“If anyone asks for money, do not pay directly. If they truly believe in your dream, they should invest first and recover it later. No one should put the risk on you in the name of helping your career.”
He also urges all players to seek legal advice before signing contracts.
“It may sound funny, but get a lawyer. If I had known, I would not have given any agent my money. I will get a lawyer, we sign an agreement and if the deal pulls through, the agent gets the money from the block account or I recover my money ”
He adds:
“No one has the key to your destiny. What works for one player may not work for another. Samuel Eto’o and Roger Milla became who they are because of the opportunities they had. Each player must find their own path.”
Lessons from Abroad
Stanley Gordians, a Nigerian player based in Slovakia, echoes Samuel’s warnings. He has seen countless fake opportunities online.
“The first sign is unrealistic promises,” Stanley says. “You are playing in an academy in Africa that is not recognized by FIFA, and someone promises a trial in Spain’s second division. That is a red flag.”
He advises players to verify all offers.
“Check online. Visit federation websites. Find the club on social media. Contact current players or coaches. Go the extra mile to verify the invitation letter or contract offer.”
He also stresses that agents must be licensed to work with clubs.
“Ask for their license number or digital card. Confirm it on FIFA’s official website. If they cannot provide it, walk away.”
The epidemic of fake football transfers continues to rob Africa’s young talent of their dreams. For many, football has become a dangerous gamble where the price of hope is heartbreak.
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