Joseph Minala: What happened to the 17-year-old Lazio wonderkid who was reportedly 42 | OneFootball

Joseph Minala, the Lazio wonderkid who was accused of being 42, has signed for a new club.

If you haven’t heard of him, let us tell you his incredibly bizarre story.

The Cameroonian footballer made headlines in 2013 when he signed for Lazio at the age of 17. However, he was immediately accused of being 42.

There can be no denying that Minala looked very mature for someone born in 1996. However, that led to people wrongly accusing him of lying about his age.

An African football website even suggested that the midfielder was 25 years older than he was (42-years-old). This actually led to an official investigation from the Italian Football Association.

However, in April 2014,  and Minala could continue with his football career.

Now the legal battle was over, Minala looked to fulfil his incredible potential and made his Serie A debut at the age of 17.

Big things were expected of him.

What happened to Joseph Minala?

But despite making three appearances at the end of the 2013/14 campaign for Lazio, his career hasn’t panned out the way he was hoping.

He was loaned out to several Serie B clubs including Bari and Latina before spending three consecutive seasons at Salernitana. Despite playing 67 times for the club in Serie B, they opted not to take the option of a permanent deal and Minala went back to Lazio.

Chinese Super League club Qingdao Huanghai offered him a loan deal for the 2020 season. However, the midfielder’s luck didn’t really change as he played 15 times in the league as the side finished 7th out of eight teams.

At the end of his loan in China in January 2021, Minala once again returned to Lazio and his contract ended at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

He signed a one-year contract at Lucchese in Serie C (Group B) and played 20 times, scoring three goals.

Minala has now signed for a new club

But he left the club this summer and his future, at the age of 26, was uncertain.

However, he’s now joined a new club.

He has now signed for fellow Serie C (Group B) side, Olbia. Olbia finished just one position below Lucchese last season.

The club said: “The Company announces that it has definitively acquired the rights to the sports performances of the player Joseph Minala. The Cameroonian midfielder, born in Yaoundé on 24 August 1996, has signed an agreement with Olbia that is valid until 30 June 2023.”

Minala claims controversy has held back his career

Minala has previously spoken about the infamous controversy surrounding his age and insists that it held his career back at Lazio.

“I was very young and I couldn’t know or predict the resonance this would have,” Minala said. “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.

“Did I expect more? Definitely. Every time I went out on loan I always had good seasons, but I never had the same chances as others at Lazio.

“I think the club has been conditioned by this age situation, even though I came to the first team in a strong Lazio side.”

Minala also questioned former Lazio boss, Simeone Inzaghi, for not giving him an opportunity.

“He didn’t give me the chances I deserved,” he said. “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.”