**Footballer Faces Deportation Despite Being Key Witness in Fraud Case**
A Cameroonian professional footballer, Charles Eloundou, is currently facing deportation from Cyprus while being held at the Limnes detention centre. The 31-year-old is reportedly a crucial prosecution witness in an ongoing criminal case involving alleged financial crimes and fraud against directors of his former club, Achyronas-Onisilos.
Eloundou’s situation has drawn attention due to the complexities surrounding his legal status and the implications for the ongoing case. His residence permit expired after he departed from second-tier side Spartakos Kitiou at the end of the last football season. He is scheduled to appear in court for a deportation hearing on September 22.
Despite the expiration of his residence permit, Eloundou has already secured an agreement to join another second-tier club, Asil Lysi. Spiros Neofitides, chairman of the footballers’ association, expressed confidence that the renewal of Eloundou’s residence permit should be a “formality,” especially considering that his wife is a French national. Under EU regulations, spouses of EU citizens typically have an easier path to obtaining residence permits compared to other non-EU nationals.
Neofitides emphasized the significance of Eloundou's testimony in the fraud case, stating, “Eloundou is a key witness for the prosecution and if he does not testify under oath in court, then the administration of justice will not be served.” The case involves three directors of Achyronas-Onisilos, who were relegated to the third tier last season. They are accused of submitting forged contracts to the Cyprus Football Association, allegedly without the knowledge of the players involved.
Eloundou played for Achyronas-Onisilos from 2024 to 2025 and has had a diverse career in both Cyprus and the United States. His previous clubs in Cyprus include Nea Salamina and Anorthosis, where he won the 2020 Cypriot Cup, as well as a brief loan at Ethnikos Achna. In the United States, he played for Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and later for lower league teams such as Charlotte Independence, Colorado Springs Switchbacks, and the Jacksonville Armada.
In addition to his club career, Eloundou has represented the Cameroonian national team, making a single appearance in a friendly match against Tanzania in 2013.
As the deportation hearing approaches, the outcome remains uncertain. The case highlights not only the challenges faced by foreign athletes in navigating residency laws but also the potential impact on the judicial process in the ongoing fraud investigation.