Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has imposed a one-year ban and a 10,000 USD fine on Jaimito Soares, a defender for Timor-Leste’s national team, after discovering that he committed age fraud.
Soares falsely declared his year of birth as 2003, raising questions about the legitimacy of his involvement in multiple youth tournaments.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has uncovered a case of age fraud involving Jaimito Soares, a center-back for Timor-Leste’s national youth teams. Soares, who declared his year of birth as 2003, was found to have misrepresented his age, raising concerns about the integrity of his participation in various tournaments.
Jaimito’s fraudulent age declaration allowed him to compete in several international youth competitions. One of the most significant was the AFF U23 Championship 2022, where Timor-Leste advanced to the semi-finals, only to lose to Vietnam in a dramatic penalty shootout (3-5) after a strong group-stage performance. His participation also extended to the 31st SEA Games held in Vietnam and the AFC U19 Championship 2020 Qualifiers, further showcasing the impact of his presence in these prestigious tournaments.
Following the AFC’s investigation, Jaimito Soares was fined 10,000 USD and handed a one-year ban from all football activities. The case serves as a warning for both players and associations to maintain transparency and adhere to regulations, as age fraud compromises the fairness of competition and can have severe consequences.
Credit Photo : VOV
