The 17-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Doualla is among 62 players who have been suspended from the domestic league by Cameroon's football federation (Fecafoot) for double identification or age fraud.

Doualla did not feature at this year's Nations Cup finals, where Cameroon were knocked out in the last 16 by eventual runners-up Nigeria.

Yet, after being called up by then-coach Rigobert Song, there was much comment on social media about whether Doualla was really a teenager when pictures of the player first surfaced.

His inclusion in the squad in Ivory Coast could lead to the five-time African champions being banned from future tournaments if his registration is proved to have been falsified.

Nations Cup regulations state that if a fraud or a forgery has been committed, the national association concerned will be suspended from participation in the following two editions of the continental showpiece.

For any administrative error in the registration of players, the national association concerned will be suspended from the next edition, the rules add.

BBC Sport Africa has contacted the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for comment, while Fecafoot has not responded to an email sent to its communication department.

Club accuse Fecafoot of Doualla 'error'

Doualla and 61 other players - including six of his Victoria United team-mates - were disqualified from appearing in the Elite League's play-offs by Fecafoot until they can prove their identities.

The move to clamp down on age cheating, or identity fraud, comes as the authority aims to eradicate the administrative issues blighting the domestic game in the country.

Doualla is alleged to have previously played in the Cameroonian league using the name Alexandre Bardelli, with his registration stating he was over the age of 21.

An investigation by French newspaper Le Monde, external unearthed the discrepancy ahead of the 2023 Nations Cup.

Le Monde said it had asked Fecafoot to explain the irregularity before the squad set off for Ivory Coast, but that the body had declined to comment.

A defiant Victoria Utd insisted that Doualla and team-mate Nji Richmond "do not have double identities as speculated by Fecafoot".