Why do players falsify there age.Someone like yakubu is way above 28 yrs.Who do they think they are deceiving.

Well there is a strong possibility that they are indeed falsifying their age, but looks can be decieving.

Not all of them.
We have few of them who never falsify their age.

Wadosky:

Why do players falsify there age.Someone like yakubu is way above 28 years.Who do they think they are deceiving.

How do you know?
Don't make allegations that you can't prove.
It seems you've run out of issues for discussion.

of course most of those players are claiming ages that are absolutely untrue. imagine obafemi martins being 21? obi mikel is 18? come of it bros, we all know how genuine 18 and 21 yr olds look like in nigeria. Are you claiming those guys are far younger than u are?

you can prove that they are older than their official ages and some foreign clubs are aware for example when a player was told by the club that wanted to sign him that they are going to confirm his real age thru some test he withrew fast

@yeepa
you cannot prove conclusively that players are older than their stated ages. The most accurate test currently known uses bone marrow and is only accurate to within 18 months. That's the reason why FIFA have not adopted an age test for their youth competitions u-17 and u-20. You can rest assured that the moment there is an accurate, reliable test, FIFA will adopt it.

yeepa:

some foreign clubs are aware for example when a player was told by the club that wanted to sign him that they are going to confirm his real age through some test he withrew fast

The club either lied to see the players reaction or the age claimed was multiple years younger.

Simple and straighforward -
Haven't you wondered why Figo is still playing football and Nigerian players who were in Saudi '89 with him are cooling off in their house now.
The only player that survived long was Mutiu Adepoju who played the last reasonable match of his career in 1998. Let's face it.... we too dey lie!

I lived in Nigeria untill i was 18, i know the look of a typical 18, 19 or even 21yr old. I had some friends, "Kpako or Aje butter" and i must say Taiye Taiwo is not the look of a Typical 21yr old in Nigeria. I know because am 21, and i don't even look half as old as he his, not to talk of Obafemi. Am not disputing them, but i wonder.

I raised this issue in a football forum last year when the issue of Obafemi Martins age on NFA's website came up and was attacked.

The truth is that these players do FALSIFY their ages. I greew up in Ebute Metta where Obafemi grew up and I know the schools he went to. And I am not sure Obagol's mates are even 24 years this day talk less of being 21!

The issue of Aghahowa was also raised in the same forum by another person else and he was meted the same treatment. Nigerians don't want the truth at all. Aghahowa has been a Police Seargent before he played for Nigeria in 1999 but he is still about 27 years of age

NIGERIA!

bolaoni:

I raised this issue in a football forum last year when the issue of Obafemi Martins age on NFA's website came up and was attacked.

The truth is that these players do FALSIFY their ages. I greew up in Ebute Metta where Obafemi grew up and I know the schools he went to. And I am not sure Obagol's mates are even 24 years this day talk less of being 21!

The issue of Aghahowa was also raised in the same forum by another person else and he was meted the same treatment. Nigerians don't want the truth at all. Aghahowa has been a Police Seargent before he played for Nigeria in 1999 but he is still about 27 years of age

NIGERIA!

I Concur

body no be firewire wood. de.m will sabi soon...

its to easy for them to lie about their age they where not born abroad so all these clubs have is their word..... maybe mikel is not 18 but i doubt if he is older than 21 but taiwo..............he should be married by now

When Victor Ikpeba's wife died, he was with Super Eagles as a 24-year-old player. They had been married for 8 years and the wife was 2 years younger. (According to what they wrote in the Obituary pages in the papers) That means Victor was 16 and his wife was 14 when they married, huh? 

IAH:

When Victor Ikpeba's wife died, he was with Super Eagles as a 24-year-old player. They had been married for 8 years and the wife was 2 years younger. (According to what they wrote in the Obituary pages in the papers) That means Victor was 16 and his wife was 14 when they married, huh?

Really? that's very funny

well to my own opinion is because of greed .that is they are been tempted by the huge amount they are been paid in their clubs both local and international.so inorder for them to continue earning that huge amount of money they falsify their age.

@Everyone

Nairaland is a community. It is a VOICE. People read this forum from the whole world. Can we stop this thread please for the benefit of Nigeria and Africa in general?

I knew few of those players that used to live in Ibadan, please lets forget it.

I recalled Phillip Osondu and Odartey Lamptey age fiasco in Belgian club, Anderlect.

Please lets forget this.

Why do u have anything to hide, we are not saying that the players are lying, we are only wondering. Let me ask u, won't u be happy to see a player like Mikel play for Nigeria for a very long time, like say 18 more years to come?, instead of getting retired at the supposed age of "27"

Bros Kola is always good at shying away from the truth now. I wonder if he is into PR or Management

The fact that you know this players is not a matter of anybody's concern. Let's say the truth even if it hurts. For how long are we going to continue in this manner?

@ Everyone

I am always factual but i want to run away from this.
Did we remember Baruwa's wahala?
We all glorify in Atlanta '96, do you know how Abiodun Baruwa nearly made it impossible?
Story Story: After our first leg match in Nigeria, a Nigerian went to Zimbabwean high commission demanding money for exposing Nigeria. They gave him a couple of thousands of dollars, he then gave them a copy of complete football magazine and the rest is history
He took a very big political manipulation before we were "cleared".


I am out of this.

who cares if we are banned for this thread? that will teach us a lesson and our football will benefit in the long run. one of the greatest problems with african football is continuity and that can be traced back to the age falsification palaver. While our players are going into oblivion at the "tender age" of 26, 27; their european counterparts are still playing football at 35. the great peter shilton i suppose played till he was 40! What of Paulo Maldini who played till i think 37? He started playing for AC Milan as far back as 1982. How many of our players since 1993 are still playing today?

If the portuguese team of 1991 (u-21) are still playing today (the brazilian team of that yr went on to form the bedrock of the brazillian national team), why have the african players all vanished? Where is Nii Odartey Lamptey? Where is that talented Ghanain squad today?

Don't let's decieve ourselves, we all watched the u-21 in holland last yr. While i was happy we won, i certain part of me remained unhappy becos i believed we were terribly unfair to other countries who fielded genuine u-21 players.

Why is Africa so good at "under-age" competitions and always flops at senior competitions? Is it not the same players involved?

There is no doubt about it, age falsification is retrogressive but how many proper nigerian 20 years old players can play at Olubadan stadium let alone oyinbo people buying them ?
As good as they are,they will never buy them hence we have to LIE?

davidylan:

If the portuguese team of 1991 (u-21) are still playing today

Beside Figo and two others, how many of them are still playing?


Babayaro, Kanu, Oruma are part of Japan '93 and they are still playing well
Okocha is in Mauritius '93 and still playing wonderful football today
Godwin Okpara is a member of scotland '89, still playing well until the prison sentence few months ago.
and many many others.

Freddy Adu is either 18 or 19. trust me, i know this. (betcha wanna know how, right? )his mom changed his age when they were coming to america. alotta people do that.

i beleive these players faulsify their ages.how can Obafemi and Taiye Taio claim to be 19.their faces and bones would tell.after the world youth championship,some clubs in holland told some of our players who claim to b 19 to come for trials if only they could go for a bone test to prove their age.but they neva went.
Too bad
corruption evry where

I watched Hossam Hassan score yesterday and was like how many of those who played after Egypt 86 and claimed to be much younger than him are still around!

God Help us oooo.

@Davidylan
I am still waiting for your response o

@Everyone

Which foreign clubs is going to employ a proper 20 years old African?

We have to lie and we will continue to lie?
Did we even need players to play for the national team for 10 years?
NO.

A lot of foreign clubs are going to sign on a twenty year old Nigerian player.Nowadays people now have good heights that can convince foreign clubs that they will be to perform . I think at least some Nigerians look bigger than LIONEL MESSI at that his age. But the problem is how they will get noticed at that real age

very true, especially nigerians.

taiye taiwo should be about 35 years of age, kanu should be like 40 years while mike obi should be like 29 years of age. as for okocha he should be like 44 years.

Am i kidding?

No
Mikel will be between 20 and 22, his immediate younger brother is still in secondary school.

Yeah, Mikel is very young, but then u never can tell.

Freddy Adu Ghanian turned American claims he is just 17 (1989)
But there is no way he is that young the guy looks at least 22
But its not his fault, he did not have a birth certificate untill he was leaving ghana

http://dcunited.mlsnet.com/MLS/players/bio.jsp?team=dcu&player=adu_f&playerId=adu029662

Taiwo is not 35 come on now, he is a big guy, but just look at his face he still looks very young
Obi mikal is born b4 1987, more like 85, 84 like Taiwo