they LIE i used to date a footballer and how come he is 22 now but all his friends i met from nigeria are all like 28-30 and they went to school together same class and when i asked him he refused to answer. i think mikel obi is very young though he looks young

Its high time you guys realise the truth... that the majority of the world best players all tell lies about there ages... Am appealling that we focus on better issues than this.
Thank you.

every soccer players that plays age grade competetions always lie about their age, not only in nigeria but all over the world. that is not new.

I remember watching the under-17 World Cup in 1985 when I was at school. The younger players would have been 15 at the time (I don't know what age they claimed to be). That means they are at least 35 years old today!

Na so life be. They have to falsify their age inorder to get sign on by these foreign clubs. The foreign club administrators forget to factor in the fact in Africa, we do not peak in our career until we are btw 25 and 30 years.

We falsify our age. Yes. Why not?

Why do barazillian players use false passport as well ?

True.

:-x

i mean this is a funny issue even obagol(1984 product) cannot even do acrobatics when he scores again.as for uncle julius aghahowa he does not even score again so i can't tell if he can still do acrobatics.

@ Toladop

Premiership club insurances are against dangerous jubilations after Lua Lua lost his finger and almost cost Portsmouth relegation.

NO more acrobatics!

Remember Martins, Julius and Celestine are experts and they are all in the premiership now.

As if its not enough --- even the DNA can not catch them

LOL.DNA cnt determine that anywayz.

i want to know Taiwo's age

how come he won youngest player award

Ask him

these guys don't have any option but to do that knowin that the system is lax, they thus just take advantage of the system, cos in this country u can arrange for a birth certificate years after u were born.

Even Christian Obodo is claiming 22 years, that old man, e be like my uncle

LOL

Wat of Jay Jay?

Who are we decieving? this is not a new story, everybody has known this for a good minute. Did you guys even see our so calle U17 boys, ain't no way any of those boys were U17 especially Christanus who looked 19 or 20 ha ha ha.

I remember when they wanted to sign Taye Taiwo after the U20's but they wanted to do some bone marrow testing on him to find his actual age but he refused he he he

I think its incredibly unfair to other countries who bring actual U17 and U20 to tournaments and we end up bringing liars and crooks. Corruption everywhere, even in the sport we really love, what a big BIG shame.
We need to start doing bone marrow testing on this lads.

At the end of the day though, its all about lack of opportunities, have you ever heard of a Nigeria player whose father is manager for Chevron? Most of this kids come from extremely poor background and there only way up is to exploit the system that gives them no opportunities. You think Kanu would be as soccer player if his father was Chairman of Central Bank? Anyone ever wonder why the Asian countries have horrible football teams? its because they have great economies where there are great opportunities to become engineers, doctors, and wealthy businessmen. Another reason why nobody over there wants to play soccer at the proffessional level is because its risky, the prospect of you becoming the next Ronaldo is very infinitesimal so why not become a lawyer. Even in South America (including Brazil), most of the best players all come from extremely poor background, that's why there was a big deal about Kaka in brazil, its because unlike his counterparts, he is a rich white boy who became a great soccer player.

I read somewhere that Harry Redknapp believes that Kanu is about 50 he he he.

this akolawole wetin dey do you self, you must be ethically challenged, in fact, from what i am reading from you, i can induce that its because of people like you Nigeria is so extremely backward and corrupt. You better shake off that dishonest dishonest mentality, our players are frauds, simple as that, whether other people do it doesn't matter, a fraud is still a fraud.

@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.

Akolawole, tell us how stopping this thread will benefit Nigeria?
We're talking about doing things right in order to gain credibility on the outside and u want us to stop it based on ur sentiments?
Truth be told, age falsification has done more harm than good for this country.
Look @ our U-17 guys (whose real average ages should be around 26) that just won d 2007 championship. U want to tell me they'll still be capable of kicking d ball in 10years time when they're expected to be @ their peak?
Let's do thing right so we don't end up burning our own fingers.

you people should please stop this shit.what gives you the impression that Cristiano Ronaldo is really 23 and Lionel Messi is 22.stop fooling yourselves.age cheating is globally ubiquitous.

marosky:

you people should please stop this shit.what gives you the impression that Cristiano Ronaldo is really 23 and Lionel Messi is 22.stop fooling yourselves.age cheating is globally ubiquitous.

SHUT UP , IS YOUR DATA OF YOUR DOB ON COMPUTER IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL OR WHEREVER IT SHOULD BE HUH? Theirs is on computer , and they love football than school ,they go into as if they are joining a group of society , so why of their age , no sense in that cos thats their philosophy, but makes sense over here, we hustle struggle hard to buy boot,jerseys and so on , even transport, so things like this we need to come of age at first like 15-20yrs of age before working , and earning real cash , doin all those hard labour, we are already burnt from the sun, getting over there to play football , after 25yrs of hustling we go there and say, im just 14yrs old, COMMON , HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, NAIJA, AFRICANS ESPECIALLY, LOOK AT DEAD JAY JAY, NEVER MY FAVORITE ANYWAY , HES 46 GOING 47, Example , look at Makelele of chelsea, hes 34 going 35 , still looks strong to play for the next 3yrs more, likes of maldini 38 or 39 ,still plays , likes of van der sar 37 yrs stills sees Anelkas kick , almost caught ashley coles penalty , HE IS bleeping STILL CAPABLE TO KEEP NEXT SEASON.

AFRICANS ARE LIARS. THEY LIE TOO MUCH ON EVERY SPORT GAMES, they are just talented thats the good part.

Marosky; you better be quiet, you think every country is like Nigeria were everybody falsifies there ages or where the end justifies the means. In some countries there is organization, when a child is born, his data is entered into govt infrastructure so therefore it cannot be falsified. You are still living in your archaic Nigeria. By the way, haven't we all watched Messi and C. Ronaldo grow right in front of our eyes and here you are lying simply because you can't believe that your country men are the most corrupt people on earth therefore you want to sully Ronaldo and Messi's names simply because of your ignorance and the fact that you can't believe that somebody can be this good so young while your Okocha's or Mikel's can never reach those heights.

Most African players falsify their ages. Yak is 33, Martins is 30, taiwo is 30, Kanu is 42, okocha is 44. Mikel is the youngest and is 27

these baffons will never stop doihink about my headin. k what do u these ones! PROSECUTOR?

rovaldo hhhh
veron hmmmmm
otaga
Trevz hahha
simone

some people just need to shut a f u c k up

dyabman and davidf,both of u are gullible dumbskulls that carry a combination of ashes,saw dust and candle wax in their brains.cant you think.4 your information these guys and South Americans.they come from countries where they do not put their ages on the computer as you claim dyabman.C. Ronaldo is originally from Brazil although he is now a Portuguese national.Don't you have memories to remember that FIFA almost axed Brazil in 1997 for using 3 over aged players. Have you not seen Europeans retire even in their mid 20's.

I am sorry 4 using those words.But Africans are not the only ones that cheat.South Americans and Eastern Europeans are also into it.

Thank God ,we all know that Anichebe is 19 because his parents took him to England when he was one.Then no one knew he was going to be a footballer.If he had grown up in Nigeria maybe some of you would have said he was 35.If Agbonlahor had grown up here Maybe you would have said he is 29.
I am not saying that Africans do not cheat.but it is not as bad as some of us think it is.One more thing is that we are not the only ones into that shit.

case thrown out!!