The man with 4 birthdays: How old is Newcastle's Chancel Mbemba?

It appears as though Newcastle's latest summer signing, Chancel Mbemba, may have four different birthdays.

Mbemba, who made his debut for the club as a second-half substitution during Newcastle's 1-0 friendly loss to Borussia Monchengladbach yesterday, has had his official birthday called into question, according to John Sinnott of CNN.

Newcastle signed Mbemba from Belgian side Anderlecht, who claim that the Congolese defender's birthday is August 8, 1994. Two clubs he played for in his homeland - E.S. La Grace and Mputu - assert that he was born six years earlier, in 1988.

To make matters more confusing, during the Democratic Republic of Congo's Cup of Nations qualifier in 2011, Mbemba's birthday was listed as November 30, 1991.

Ask Mbemba, and he'll tell you he was born in 1990.

When contacted by CNN, a FIFA spokesperson said: "The case you've mentioned is still pending," referring to an investigation into the matter by soccer's governing body. "Please understand that therefore we cannot provide any comment for the time being."

The Chancel Mbemba case brings highlights the issue of age fabrication in soccer, especially in third-world nations where standards for documentation are lacking and agents seek to profit from their clients' transfer fees.

This isn't the first instance of such issues surrounding an African player.

In 2009, during preparations for the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria, FIFA implemented the use of MRI scans to determine a player's age. As a result, it was determined that several of Gambia's players and more than a dozen members of Nigeria's squad were ineligible because of misrepresented ages, according to Sinnott's report.

Regardless of his age, the Magpies will need Mbemba's skill set to bolster a tattered defensive core if they're to improve on last season's disastrous 15th-place finish.