Flaccid Brazilian Pele famously predicted “An African nation will win
the World Cup before the year 2000″ and, of course they didn’t. The
quote was attributed to Pele after watching Nigeria’s youngster win the
U17s World Cup in 1993. In fact, African nations have a good record in
the competition, so why haven’t they been able to nurture these winning
youngsters into World Cup winners?
Well, many people will tell you that these U17s were not under 17 at all. Indeed, in 1989, Nigeria’s youth teams were banned for fielding over-age players in FIFA youth tournaments and more recently in 2009, FIFA introduced MRI screening in time for the U17 World Cup to help confirm players ages.
It’s not a problem confined to Africa, there have been cases in South
America and Asia of players lying about their age, but it’s certainly
most rife in impoverished countries. It’s not difficlt to see why the
players choose to falsify documents in order to pursue their dreams and
often to escape from poverty stricken conditions in their homelands,
especially when it’s so easy to do.
Reports from various bloggers on the internet suggest that Nigerian’s Taribo West (37), Nwankwo Kanu (34), Jay-Jay Okocha (38), Obafemi Martins (27) and many others are all in fact older than they officially claim. Some sources, suggest Okocha to be in his late 40′s, Kanu 42 and Taribo West in his late 50′s.
And, most recently, according to reports from Supersport.com, Ghanian ex-Leeds striker Tony Yeboah has admitted to lying about his age in order to play for Ghana’s national team, “ I would not have been able to play senior football in Ghana aged 17, so my birth year was changed to 1964.”
So, does it even matter?
In a word, yes. It is after all, cheating. It’s to the detriment of countries who send legally aged players to competitions in order to nourish and build for the future, and it’s also depriving young players in the accused countries themselves of playing.
When speaking to the BBC in 2010, Anthony Kojo Williams, ex-head of the Nigerian Football Federation summed up the problem, “I don’t see Nigerian football getting out of the quagmire, the problem it is in today is because it (corruption) is getting deeper and deeper and deeper. From time to time we get flashes where we do well in some competition with overage players and we celebrate…
“We use over-age players for junior championships, I know that. Why not say it? It’s the truth. We always cheat. It’s a fact. When you cheat, you deprive the young stars that are supposed to play in these competitions their rights.”
Original Post: Shefellover
Well, many people will tell you that these U17s were not under 17 at all. Indeed, in 1989, Nigeria’s youth teams were banned for fielding over-age players in FIFA youth tournaments and more recently in 2009, FIFA introduced MRI screening in time for the U17 World Cup to help confirm players ages.
Kanu, 34?
Reports from various bloggers on the internet suggest that Nigerian’s Taribo West (37), Nwankwo Kanu (34), Jay-Jay Okocha (38), Obafemi Martins (27) and many others are all in fact older than they officially claim. Some sources, suggest Okocha to be in his late 40′s, Kanu 42 and Taribo West in his late 50′s.
And, most recently, according to reports from Supersport.com, Ghanian ex-Leeds striker Tony Yeboah has admitted to lying about his age in order to play for Ghana’s national team, “ I would not have been able to play senior football in Ghana aged 17, so my birth year was changed to 1964.”
So, does it even matter?
In a word, yes. It is after all, cheating. It’s to the detriment of countries who send legally aged players to competitions in order to nourish and build for the future, and it’s also depriving young players in the accused countries themselves of playing.
When speaking to the BBC in 2010, Anthony Kojo Williams, ex-head of the Nigerian Football Federation summed up the problem, “I don’t see Nigerian football getting out of the quagmire, the problem it is in today is because it (corruption) is getting deeper and deeper and deeper. From time to time we get flashes where we do well in some competition with overage players and we celebrate…
“We use over-age players for junior championships, I know that. Why not say it? It’s the truth. We always cheat. It’s a fact. When you cheat, you deprive the young stars that are supposed to play in these competitions their rights.”
Original Post: Shefellover
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