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That FIFA has finally decided to clamp down on this outrageous
crime in football is a welcome development. How sincere this decision is and
how successful the war will be, will be based on how serious FIFA is, and how
desirous national football associations are.

Nigerians must therefore, appreciate the current Sports
Minister, for his bold directive to all sports associations in Nigeria, to
ensure that all athletes representing Nigeria in any age-grade competition,
must undergo a mandatory age verification test.

Lulu obstacle

Thank you Bio, but would your ‘big boys’ inside the Abuja glass house,
especially your classmate, Sani Lulu, obey? Will the loquacious, ‘basket-mouth’
Secretary General, agree with you? I am very sure that millions of Nigerians
have not forgotten the war of supremacy between Sani Ndanusa, your predecessor,
and Sani Lulu, over the age verification method the Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF) should adopt in order to confirm the true ages of the players who
represented us during the last U-17 FIFA World Cup tournament hosted by this
nation.

While Ndanusa insisted on using the M.R.I. equipment, Lulu
posited that parents of the players should be invited to verify the true ages
of their children. Well, thank God he did not suggest that the ‘men’ should
place their left or right hands on their heads and touch either the right or
left ear with such hands. Please don’t laugh, because this is not a laughable
issue. It is an issue that must be treated as absolutely unacceptable.

This obnoxious practice totally negates the fundamental
socio-political, economic, educational, and behavioural principles of football.
Perpetrators of this aberration including parents, school teachers, head
teachers, principals, coaches, and members of the so-called NFF, must be told
very unambiguously that they are not assisting in a process by which millions
of Nigerian children can be exposed early in life to the spirit of fair play,
respect, hard work, teamwork, self discipline, and tolerance. These are
attributes that can prepare our young ones for future leadership roles. Our
young ones must not be encouraged to cheat. Besides, it must be clearly
understood that this is one of the reasons largely responsible for the moral
decadence presently experienced in homes, schools, faith-based organisations,
and work places today.

Women also involved

Maybe it is important for Nigerians to be reminded that this
nation has paraded about 170 footballers in the last 9 editions of the FIFA
organised U-17 male competitions. But less than 10 of these 170 have been able
to make it to the senior World Cup level. Why? Simply because we have been
cheating.

The situation is not getting better anyway.

With the recent female players paraded by Nigeria against the
South Africans at the women U-17 World Cup qualifiers in Abeokuta, I was
ashamed and regretted going to watch the match. Haba! Even a blind man could
feel the fact that we paraded women, and not girls, as did the South Africans,
simply because we must win and qualify for the female World Cup. And because
that will enable some heartless individuals line their pockets with some hard
currencies.

Well, South Africa justifiably lodged a protest with FIFA
against Nigeria. It is interesting, but not surprising, that FIFA threw the
protest overboard, claiming, according to very reliable sources, that “South
Africa’s protest had no basis because Nigeria’s team was made up of young
players. Had they been older, it would have been a different scenario…”

FIFA unhelpful

Hmmn, anyone who claims that those women who represented us
against South Africa were U-17 girls should be subjected to a “head check” in
Abeokuta or Yaba.

FIFA’s response has not also helped matters at all. However,
this not surprising. That is why I mentioned earlier on that the success of
this so called M.R.I. tests will depend on whether FIFA is serious about it or
not.

My position has to do with what has been suggested many times in
this column. There is the urgent need for the sports ministry to educate
Nigerians, especially parents/guardians, on the negative implications of
age-falsification. Can Bio achieve this with Lulu and his cohorts?

Genuine grassroots football development supporters in Nigeria do
not sincerely think so. May God rescue this nation from the grips of enemies of
Nigerian sports, especially football. Amen.