Nfa Protests Moyes' Yakubu Insult

The Nigeria Football Association on Saturday lodged a strongly-worded complaint to the FA in England asking for sanctions against Everton manager David Moyes. Below is a copy of the letter;

"The purpose of this letter is to lay complaint against the Manager of English Premiership club, Everton FC, Mr David Moyes who was widely quoted by the world media on Thursday 21st February 2008 as suggesting that his Nigerian striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni is above the age he presents.

"On a night that Aiyegbeni scored a hat-trick to become the first Everton player to score a hat-trick in Europe in 23 years, Mr. Moyes said, inter alia: "What people don't appreciate is that he's only 25, albeit a Nigerian 25, and so if that is his age he's still got a good few years ahead of him.

"This statement is an unambiguous insult on a whole nation, and the biggest black nation in the world for that matter, and we demand an unreserved apology from the said Mr. Moyes.

"Mr. Moyes' statement is capable of not only exposing our player, Yakubu Aiyegbeni to ridicule but also capable of reducing his market value as a professional footballer and at the same time, capable of undermining the bargaining power of other Nigerian professional players.

"We demand also that Mr. Moyes must be expressly cautioned for insinuating that a civilized nation encourages age cheating, and he should find a way to return to the world media and decry his own statement."