The recent success of the Nigeria under 17 team at the Fifa Under 17 World Cup, where the players were alleged to be true under age players, raises fear, if the Country will be able to raise true under aged players again.



Decades after the successful outing of the Dream Team of Nigeria at the Athlanta1996 Olympics, where the players that represented Nigeria at the football fiesta, were alleged to have submitted their real ages to the Nigerian football body, which enabled them to participate in the competition. Years later, Nigerians now bemoan the rate at which over aged players continue to flood the age grade competitions, raising doubts over the effectiveness of the basic academic structures put in place at the various schools where these players were meant to be selected from.

Many argued that the success of the Atlanta 96 team came as a result of the excessive participation of the players in their school curricular activities, where there was a well structured football pitch as well as tennis court, which gave room for great competitions among the students; such has interschool completion, street soccer competition. Parents then were the backbone of encouragement for their kids, buying them the necessary kit needed for the successful participation of their kids in various sports of their choice.

Sports enthusiasts claim that the 96 team enjoyed governmental support then because corruption was on a low level in the country and that the leaders were interested in the grassroots development which helped in identifying the talents that represented the country in its various sporting activities. But reverse seems to be the case this days as the leaders engage in looting the country finances to other country, which has been useful in the development of these countries.

Furthermore, tribalism and nepotism has driven deep into the country leadership prospect, thereby restricting its leaders from carrying out developmental projects in the school, which has in a negative way affected the country in its pursuit of true under age sports oriented teens that can represent the country in various completion, National, Continental, or International.

Nigeria was once again thrown into a mockery state at the Fifa 2009 under 17 tournament hoisted by the country, when several Nigerian players failed the MRI scan, with the chairman of the Nigeria Football Association then Sanni Lulu demanding that the parents of the players be brought down to the Nigerian capital Abuja, to verify the real ages of the players.

This however, created pandemonium among soccer loving fans in and outside the country, with some suggesting that the various schools attended by the players should have the original document stating the ages of the players. Long before now, Nigerian players were used to the act of presenting a sworn affidavit stating that they are truly using their real ages. This has left many bemused on why an affidavit would be submitted to verify ages, when the age of any player should have been stipulated in his or her birth certificate.

When Nigeria won the Fifa under 17 world cup in 2007, many had thought that with the enormous talent the country paraded at the completion, the buck of that team would have been the fulcrum of the Nigeria Senior National team ‘The Super Eagles’ today, but the players in question couldn’t keep up with the pace as they were alleged to have reduced their ages in other to enable them participate in the tournament.

While the British soccer loving fans where excited with the transfer of Gareth Frank Bale from Totthenham Hotspur to the best club in the world Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of (e100 million) Euros, thereby trashing the transfer record of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 94 million Euros move from Manchester United to the same club. Many never knew that Bale first came into limelight while he was in his primary school, Eglwys Newydd Primary School, when scouts from English Premier League team Southampton watched him play for his first club, Cardiff Civil Service Football Club during a six aside tournament.

At just 14 years old Bale was already training at the Southampton Satelite Academy while he was still in High School, he ran 100 meters in 11.4 seconds which made him the best athlete in his school, this was possible because there was a well organized structure to enable him develop into the star that is recognized in the whole world today.

The world stars that are known today in world football, graduated from different football academies, were they learnt the rudiment of soccer plus academics project and its successes. The football academy of Barcelona known as La Masia as produced over 300 players worldwide, it came not as a shock when one of the graduate of the academy Lionel Messi won the Ballon D’or award and world footballer of the year in 2009. However, since then the academy has produced players who are the bedrock of their various national teams.

Sports analyst and enthusiasts applauded a football programme meant for female football players held last year September, which was anchored by the first African Women Footballer of the Year, Mercy Udoh Akide, in which the best 3 players were granted a football plus academic scholarship in United State of America.

Howbeit, since the gold won by Chioma Ajunwa at the Atlanta 96 Olympic in the track and field event, Nigeria have struggled to find a replacement for her in athletics, apart from the Queen of track now Blessing Okagbare, who has represented the country well in many events winning medals at the world championships and a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics. Many fear that if she is injured or she retires, the search for her replacement might take Nigeria ages to find.

However, Nigerians remain anxious that the current state in the sport sector of the country will encounter a new dawn, were structures and infrastructure will be put in place to enable easy training of this talented Nigerians from the grassroots who have lost hope in their dreams due to lack of sponsors..COM



By : Philips Sunday

Summary: Every sector in Nigeria is in shams