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Cheating our way to World Cup

Kadaria Ahmed



November 16, 2009 03:21AMT
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I have looked at this issue six ways every side of Sunday and cannot but reach one conclusion; we cheated our way into the final of the U-17 World Cup.

Yesterday, in front of thousands of fans and many other millions watching on television, the Nigerian U-17 national team lifted the second place trophy in the competition. Ordinarily, this should be a time of celebration, euphoria even. After all, it appears that football, so beloved by many Nigerians is defying the rot that has settled into many aspects of our national life. From our educational system to our infrastructure, nothing works. We should therefore be thrilled that our football is at least giving us one thing we can all be proud of.

But our journey to second place is tainted. It appears we fielded over age players, some as old as 25. For example, Fortune Chukwudi, a central defender and captain of the U-17 team used to play for Sharks of Port Harcourt, according to the former chairman of the club, Adokiye Amiesimaka. The former chairman says in 2002 when Mr. Chukwudi played for the feeder team of Sharks, he was 18 years old. Logically therefore, it was a 25 year old man, rather than a 17 year old boy that captained our team. One national newspaper went as far as providing proof by publishing on its front page, a picture of the young Chukwudi during his time with Sharks.

Questions have also been raised about another player. Deji Joel did not initially make the squad because according to our football governing body, the NFF, he failed the MRI test that was administered to verify age claims by players. Between that announcement and the competition, the young man somehow found his way back to the squad. No official explanation was proffered by the NFF for this about turn. It is possible the test was faulty, but the NFF in its wisdom didn’t think Nigerians deserved an explanation.

There is definitely something fishy about the way we handle age grade competitions. In other climes, they provide breeding grounds for national teams and produce players who go on to have brilliant careers internationally and professionally.

Football powerhouse Brazil has won the competition as many times as Nigeria. A look at the youngsters that helped the country win the competition thrice is a list of who is who on the football world stage. Brazil’s 1995 squad though not winners, produced the likes of Julio Cesar, Juan Silveira dos Santos and Fabio Aurelio, who now respectively play for Inter Milan, Roma and Liverpool and are still regulars in the national team.

The 1997 tournament was won due to the extraordinary skills of Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira, who now plays for AC Milan. The young man who claimed back-to-back FIFA Player of the Year awards in 2004 and 2005 while playing for HIS erstwhile club, Barcelona was also a member of the 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian side.

In 2001, current Juventus playmaker, Diego Ribas da Cunha featured at the U-17 World Cup while in 2005, the trio of Marcelo da Silva Junior of Real Madrid, Denilson Pereirra Neves of Arsenal and Manchester United’s Anderson Oliveira were part of the Brazilian side which finished in second place behind Mexico. Two years later, in 2007, twin brothers, Fabio and Rafael da Silva appeared for the Brazilians and they remain integral members of Manchester United team.

But what has happened to members of our winning squads? There are only two so far that have stood out professionally- Mikel Obi of Chelsea in England and Chinedu Obasi of Hoffenhein in Germany.

So could it be that many members of our winning squads fade into obscurity because to begin with they were old men and can realistically therefore not have a long shelf life in football?

Regardless of what your answer is the time has come for us to insist that we do things the right way. When we cheat, it is ourselves we deceive. We deprive our nation the possibility of grooming youngsters that may one day take us all the way to a senior World Cup final. When we perpetrate a sham, our image is tainted and our victories are hollow and fraudulent and should be a source of shame for any sane, responsible Nigerian.

Those who have found these truthful words hard to swallow have accused people like me of being unpatriotic. We have been accused of been disloyal to our country for insisting cheating is wrong and that the result does not justify the means. It is those who insist on victory at any cost that are destroying this country.

This is the same mentality that allows parents to buy exam papers for their children. It is the same principle that makes us lie on job applications. It is the same thinking that means we can dip our hands into public coffers with no thought for the damage the theft is doing and the consequences on the country and its people. Cheating and stealing are two sides of the same coin. By cheating in this competition, Nigeria has stolen victory from other teams. So it is fair and just that the ultimate prize eluded us.

This is really, really not politics

Tel that to the politicians,poster or just fsck off

But what has happened to members of our winning squads? There are only two so far that have stood out professionally- Mikel Obi of Chelsea in England and Chinedu Obasi of Hoffenhein in Germany.

Winners in bold.

Current SE players in green

1985
Akpoborie
Ugbade
Bazuaye

1987
Enegwae
O. Lawal
Nwosu

1989
Monye
Akwuegbu
Okpara
Ikpeba
Zaki

1993
Oruma
N. Kanu
Ojigwe
C. Babayaro
Oparaku


1995
Obiora
K. Amunike
Onwuzuruike

1997 (meridian cup)
Ikedia
Aliyu
Afolabi
Lawal
Okunnowo
Dosunmu
Igbinadolor
O. Kanu
Udeze

1999 (meridian cup)
Etafia
Odiah
Enakharire

2001
Eromoigbe
Opabunmi
Bassey

2003
Okoronkwo
Obasi
Mikel

2005
Echiejile
Oladapo

2007
Udoh
Haruna