As the AFCON matches near the kickoff date, Kenya’s key defender Joash Onyango has been a source of social media memes sparked by his looking old ‘face’ at his official age of just 26 years old.
Photos of Onyango came first on social media few days to the AFCON official kick off, appearing with a white-dyed beard, fast growing bald and a face many Kenyans judged to be the oldest at such a tender age.
10 Facts You Didn’t known about Joash Onyango
- As of 2019, he was born 26 years ago as Joash Abong’o Onyango on 31 January 1992
- In 2010, Joash did his KCSE at Shamberere High School in Kakamega county
- He is considered as one of the best all time player of his Secondary Schools football tournament in Kakamega.
- On 25 May 2018, Onyango made his first appearance for Kenya against Swaziland
- Onyango on club level, features for Gor Mahia, Kenya’s best domestic club
- His jersy number is 12.
- Onyango has won two major Kenya Premier League Titles with Gor Mahia in 2017 and 2018.
- Between 2015-2016, Onyango featured in KPL with Western Stima.
- He has been selected as one of the top defenders to play in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) in Egypt.
- He was one of the lucky Gor Mahia players who traveled for a friendly tour with English Premier League side Everton FC based in Liverpool city
Cases of age cheating in Africa are not very rare.
During the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, Nigeria’s Goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho was termed as the youngest Goalkeeper at the lucrative event with only 19 years old, a move that sparked social media criticism
Meet the "19 year-old teenager" who is Nigeria's #WorldCup Goalkeeper!
I think I'm 7 years old right now! 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/QeHiF6HJXh
— Ciku 🇰🇪 (@Ciku_Muriithi) June 17, 2018For instance, Nigeria’s 2015 Fifa U-17 World Cup-winning squad in 2016, had over 60% of players failing to meet the age test machine MRI screening that determines the players age
Then only 2 players from their starting XI passed the test, while 26 others failed to pass through the test.
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