CHAI!!!!!
A staggering 26 members of Nigeria's Under-17 side failed an age test carried out ahead of an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
A mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screening of the squad revealed almost half were ineligible to play.
Only last year the Golden Eaglets, as they are known, won the FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile for a record fifth time.
The players who failed the tests have now left the training camp in Abuja.
They were staying there ahead of tomorrow's Cup of Nations U17 qualifying match against neighbouring Niger, which will still go ahead.
Many of the expected starting eleven passed the test.
Accusations of age cheating have blighted Nigeria's success at international age group tournaments in recent years.
Former Nigerian FA president Anthony Kojo Williams told the BBC: "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."
In 2013 Nigeria were left without key players for their Fifa Under-17 World Cup in after failing the same tests.
Controversially, USA-based Abuchi Obinwa was one of those to fail the test despite having all the relevant documentation to prove his age.
Football's world governing body Fifa introduced MRI scans to check the ages of players at the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, which took place in Nigeria.
MRI is used to scan the wrist plate of players to accurately check their true age, with only players between grade one and five of the scan eligible to participate.
Players with more advanced bone structure are considered to be adults.
BBC reportage.
Fifa should ban us for a couple of years maybe we go gree get sense then.
ReplyDeleteYes Nigerians cheat and no doubt this is hugely true but when a child who is been raised in the US (Abuchi Obinwa) also falls victim of this scan then it casts doubt on the authenticity of the MRI scan and FIFA ingenuity.
DeleteKwakwakwakwa, oo chimooooo
ReplyDeleteNigerians must we always dent our image everywhere? Na question I asked oo
Good to know that the starting eleven passed the test.
ReplyDeleteIt is well with Nigeria.
Football age has really messed up our players
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahah but its the right tin to do na, my football age is 16.
ReplyDeleteLol. Not surprised.
ReplyDeleteHahaha.. Mma Abasi, I love naija Cus we are entirely diff from any other country of the world.
ReplyDeleteNever use the same scanning machine u used for an American on a Nigerian Cus you'll never get acute result... You just take a specimen from a Nigerian then go use it to design a machine for em.
LMAO 😁
ReplyDeleteNaija I hail oh!!!!!
Naija and age issues.
ReplyDeleteLWKM. Laugh at Nigeria's funniest pictures here
E be like say them just wake, since all this century way don pass. E no start today na.30 years with matured face and strong bones join muscle na 14 years for my country naija.
ReplyDeleteSometimes this test is wrong. Some peoples bone are strong and know of a boy that was not above age then in secondary buy he is very lanky and was drop from one competition due to this MRS machine but I know we cheat o a whole lot.
ReplyDeleteNawa oo
ReplyDeleteThey should use on these out celebrities any day they are celebrating their birthdays.
ReplyDeleteThat was how we were thinking my granny was over a hundred years meanwhile the poor woman was not even up to 95years.
Nigeria why nah!!! This country will not stop disgracing itself. 😑
ReplyDelete