Tracing of Vinicius Junior’s roots highlights Cameroon’s rich football history

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 is similar to the greatness represented by Brazil, five-time world champions, whose officials have celebrated the discovery of Vinicius Jr.’s ancestry.

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.

It comes as part of a campaign dubbed “Roots of Gold,” led by the Brazilian Football Confederation in partnership with the organization, AfricanAncestry.com, specialized in genetic genealogy. Its founder Gina Paige said the efforts made come after numerous ancestral histories of African origin were wiped by slavery and racism years ago.

The CBF President, Ednaldo Rodrigues, said the initiative is intended to trace the origin of Brazilian players, “while celebrating cultural diversity.”

Vinicius Jr.’s DNA test showed that he is from the Tikar ethnic group in Cameroon. He now shares cultural links with Real teammate Kylian Mbappe, whose father is Cameroonian, hailing from Djebale in the Littoral region.

It is expected that the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up may one day grant a symbolic visit to Cameroon, just as Mbappe did a year ago.