They say when you combine hard work and talent and spice it up with motivation, it generates unending success. Chinedu Laurel Okorodike writes for 90minutesgoal.com.

This is the glaring definition of Cristiano Ronaldo's career achievement for both club and country.

The 32-year-old was recently awarded his fifth Ballon d'Or award after putting up splendid performances in the years under review.

The Portuguese International scored a whooping 42 goals in all competition for club and country also leading Real Madrid to win the La Liga and UEFA Champions League.

Rinaldo is 32 years old, and there are suggestions from some quarters that he's declining.

Yes Ronaldo might be declining in terms of performance compared to his input five or six years ago, but the key thing is that at 32, he is still at the level other footballers dream of getting to. A Ronaldo at 32 is still a threat anyday and any time on the pitch.

Take a close look and you might have noticed that Ronaldo no longer tries to run past opponents in full pace and show of skill and power every time he gets the ball.

Instead he now let's his brain occasionally thinks his feet are still as fast as they were a few years ago during his early days with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Recently, a boy in my neighborhood in Port Harcourt said to me and I quote "Mr Laurel, why do Nigerian players at 31-32 years of age starts fading and retire at the end ?".

"And I bluntly told him, that is because most Nigerian and African players don't start their football careers with their true age. So when you expect then to be at their peak, they are already diminished strength wise inside".

I forgot to tell him that discipline also play a major role to remain yourat the top-most level. At 32, Ronaldo still has the hunger to succeed. He had this hunger and determination from the on set.

He wasn't so good in set pieces, but he got a personal trainer who brushed him on that. He does over 600 press up daily to stay fit and does not take alcohol and is always the last to leave training.

His determination to succeed enabled him equal Messi's five times Ballon D'Or award even when Messi led him 5-2.

Most Nigerian players are are not disciplined in their careers. Once they manage to get good deals or contract away from home, they lose control as seen in the recent case of Watford star Isaac Success.

As a footballer or athlete, the older you are, the more experienced and intelligent you become, and you don't waste energy on things you don't need. This same principle applies to all aspect of life.

Ronaldo now takes up strategic position around the pitch from where he can cause damage to opponent's rather than making runs that might just distract opponents.

He knows when to play as a striker or as a winger on the left. Such new attribute has made him more dangerous coupled with a towering aerial ability.

He might not have the same commanding and fearful presence that he once brings to opposition teams but Ronaldo is still a decisive player, a player who knows how to win and how to be in the right place to beat even the toughest of opponents.

The Super Eagles can boast of a young squad at the moment and this is because the current boss Gernot Rohr has embarked on a "catch them young campaign", and the result is glaring for everyone to see.

This was what was missing for so many years as most of the set of players we presented at different cadet tournaments were not within the age bracket required for such competition.

You can't present a 22-year-old player for a competition meant for 17 years old lads and expect the 20-year-old player to be in top notch form for the next 15 years. A typical example was the Philip Osondu case.

In football, when you lie about your age, you tend to under perform when people expect you to perform.

The way forward

The good work of Gernot Rohr must be upheld and continued by all coaches of the U-17, U-20 and U-23 team. This is one secret the German national team deployed to which was evident when they featured a second string team that lifted the 2017 Confederation Cup.

We have Cristiano Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's scattered all over Nigeria, all we need is to beam the proverbial search light on them to discover and integrate them.

Nigeria did not win the World Youth Championship tagged Holland 2005 but it helped us discover Mikel Obi who is still in active football with his age mate Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas who all played in that same competition in 2005. That cannot be said of Taye Taiwo who also played in that competition as a 20-year-old in 2005.

We must see age grade competition as an avenue to fish out talent for the Super Eagles and not the way we currently see it as a must win tournamen, which led to the nigeria u17 age cheating claim.

I sign off this week with a list of Cristiano Ronaldo all time accolades and goals record shown below.

630+ career Goals
200+ career Assists
5 Ballon d'Or
4 Golden Shoe
3 UEFA Best Player
2 FIFA Best Award
4 Champions League
4 Club World Cup
3 UEFA Super Cup
3 Premier League
2 La Liga Trophy
2 Copa del Rey
2 Supercopa de España
2 League Cup
1 Community Shield
1 FA Cup
1 Euro Cup

Full Article: http://www.90minutesgoal.com/2017/12/Why-nigerian-footballers-lie-about-age.html?m=1

cc:lalasticala

well said but sey you dont check my own record for street??
23,344 goals
2031 assists
98 redcards
144 yellow cards

This should make front page. Is an advice for our Football administrators as we prepare for the world cup

Lalatiscala abeg come and see how Philip Osundun has disgraced Taiye Taiwo and Victor ikeapba. Say Mikel is playing in China and Messi in bacca speaks volumes.

32 years in Nigerian football is plus 35 and above in real life.

Julius Aghahowa and Yakubu Aiyegbeni 1982: 35 years old.
Jay Jay Okocha and Daniel Amokachi: 1972/ 1973.

Our sport administrators are to blame....

I know one Nigerian player still "firing" at 33: Bartholomew Ogbeche. He's got 6 goals for Willem II Tilburg in this Eredivisie season. Can you beat that?

dyadeleye:
well said but sey you dont check my own record for street??
23,344 goals
2031 assists
98 redcards
144 yellow cards

I think I have seen this record somewhere. Yes! The player was the highest goal scorer and MVP of the 2016/2017 Bujumbura Premier League. So,you are that player?! Pleased to meet you,sir!

mansakhalifa:
I think I have seen this record somewhere. Yes! The player was the highest goal scorer and MVP of the 2016/2017 Bujumbura Premier League. So,you are that player?! Pleased to meet you,sir!

e hugs to you broda.

i will email my autograph to you soon.