Yaoundé: The tracing of Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s ancestry to Cameroon has further highlighted the richness of the Central African country’s football history. The five-time AFCON champions have always been regarded as one of the biggest football nations in Africa, producing some of the most thrilling performances on the continental and world stage. This discovery mirrors the greatness represented by Brazil, the five-time world champions, whose officials have celebrated the revelation of Vinicius Jr.’s Cameroonian roots.
According to Cameroon News Agency, before the World Cup qualification match against Uruguay on Tuesday, the player was handed a certificate by the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, to celebrate the discovery of the 24-year-old’s roots. This gesture is part of a campaign dubbed ‘Roots of Gold,’ led by the Brazilian Football Confederation in partnership with AfricanAncestry.com, an organization specialized in genetic genealogy. It
s founder, Gina Paige, remarked on the significance of tracing these roots, particularly after numerous ancestral histories of African origin were erased by slavery and racism.
The CBF President, Ednaldo Rodrigues, emphasized that the initiative aims to trace the origin of Brazilian players while celebrating cultural diversity. Vinicius Jr.’s DNA test revealed his ancestry with the Tikar ethnic group in Cameroon. This connection also ties him culturally with his Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe, whose father is Cameroonian, originating from Djebale in the Littoral region. It is anticipated that the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up may one day make a symbolic visit to Cameroon, similar to Mbappe’s visit a year ago.