Dragonking:
You be confirmed mumu....If i take you to court and provide the FIFA report showing the MRI scan of those boys to be U17, what evidence do you have to defend yourself apart from hearsay and eye judgement....Ode oshi

Please ignore Bigwallace. The guy is one of the age cheats who was screened out, probably by MRI, and his now all over NL with his sour grapes.

NiRfreak:
NO apology reserved for idiots like you....you are one of the unpatriotic fools denting the image of this country without any reasonable or meaningful contribution to progress it.....idiot......what are u preaching??....Righteousness??....Hypocritic fool...i wil keep insulting you until you relinquish ur holier than thou attitude.....and before ur exchange of attack begins...cos i'm ready for u...Tell me which cheat was caught and who caught the cheat......ode oponu.

Lol. You are waiting for a return fire. Hahaha. That won't happen sir. I'm too civilized to be throwing words at unknown people. Its a small world you know

Its either you didn't read or you did not understand my post. Whatever the case, you didn't have to insult me because our opinions differ. I never said or implied that they are cheats. If you will, read my post again, this time, slowly and carefully.

Lace it up with my signature. Thanks

dabossman:


@bolded: Really? But 16-17 year-old Germans, Brazilians, Spaniards, Argentines can play at that level? It is only the Africans that cannot play at that level. I guess your secondary school never had a school team. Kids at that age can play football for 3 hours non-stop. And please enough with the beer parlour gist about Osundu. We've all heard those tales about him. They spent millions on him indeed. I guess you signed the cheques.

Obviously they can't which is why they don't do as well in age grade competitions. They play according to their actual skill level. Nigeria on the other hand play over and beyond what a normal 17 old would because of their cheating nature. I wonder why with a boistrous youth programme we never seem to be able to do the same in normal aged competitions. Use your head bro. All you need do this weekend is go out and watch a game and tell me that a 16 year old can play like that in Nigeria. There is no way in hell you'd find 11 players like that. One or two maybe but not 11.

NiRfreak:
Chai nawa for uo....You and your christian views.....funny enough No sport uses or applies Christian principle in winning....jst tak it or leave it......

Lol, no govt uses christian principles in awarding contracts.

asha80:
kelechi iheanacho was 26 when he played that u17..i am owerri based

You know this how? You issued his original birth certificate?

Na Wa for people

flyca:


Lol. You are waiting for a return fire. Hahaha. That won't happen sir. I'm too civilized to be throwing words at unknown people. Its a small world you know

Its either you didn't read or you did not understand my post. Whatever the case, you didn't have to insult me because our opinions differ. I never said or implied that they are cheats. If you will, read my post again, this time, slowly and carefully.

Lace it up with my signature. Thanks

Spare me your civility claim......civility indeed.....your mindset abt their age let u out.

asha80:
of course not..these academies are well structured and have have history...but that does not mean we should lie about these things..of you use your real age it is not really a guarantee that you will turn up successful in football industry but for those that do you would last Long in the highest level of the game because you cant cheat nature..the good Portuguese national team of btw 1997 to 2004 do you know the backbone of that team was the under 20 youth teams of Portugal of 1989 and 1991?

Do you know that davor suker,Robert prosinecki ,Robert jarni and zvonimir boban of the great [b]France 98 [/b]Croatian team were under 20s of the then Yugoslavian team that won that tournament?

I'm glad you mentioned France 98 because in that same tournament we had at least 4 boys from our Japan 93 U17 squad as well. Kanu, Oruma, Celestine Babayaro, Mobi Oparaku. We also had at least 5 former U20 players in Tijani Babangida, Amuneke, Okocha, Mutiu Adepoju and Victor Ikpeba. Where they not the spine of our own team? Did we not top a group that had Spain and previous world cup semi-finalists Bulgaria? Or did we defeat them at that level because we were over-aged?

That Croatia had a good run at France 98 is not necessarily about the ages of their players. Was Ghana not on the verge of a World Cup semi-final until Suarez played the fool? Was it because Ghanaian players were not over-aged? There are so many factors to consider beyond real age.

Bollinger:


Obviously they can't which is why they don't do as well in age grade competitions. They play according to their actual skill level. Nigeria on the other hand play over and beyond what a normal 17 old would because of their cheating nature. I wonder why with a boistrous youth programme we never seem to be able to do the same in normal aged competitions. Use your head bro. All you need do this weekend is go out and watch a game and tell me that a 16 year old can play like that in Nigeria. There is no way in hell you'd find 11 players like that. One or two maybe but not 11.

Wow, Brazil, Argentina and Spain don't do well in age grade competitions? Case closed. And then you say Nigeria has a boisterous youth programme? Where? Under the bridges, or at the corner fields where boys play set? Seriously? I went to a secondary school where we did sports and played competitions. My mates who were in the school team did not have the same stature as I did. They were bigger, with better developed muscles because they were athletes and they could play soccer at great pace and take long shots that covered distances; and they were more than 11, not to talk of the whole Nigeria.

dabossman:


Please ignore Bigwallace. The guy is one of the age cheats who was screened out, probably by MRI, and his now all over NL with his sour grapes.

lol u re very funny,I won't insult anybody on dis forum,but I know what am saying am long involve in dis game nd besides why shud I go for u17 camp wen am way over that,see my cousin iss also a footballer he is 22 but if u see himm u sweaar wt ur life that he is 15.am still standing on my point non of these guys are 17 u can insult me if u wish.

Safarigirl and others, you guys are doing a great job putting these bitter hateful scums where they belong. Thing is these hateful fuckktards were monumental failures at 17. They therefore can't seem to accept or get their heads around how good these guys are at such a young age.

Dragonking:
I also complained to seun about this. The mod should read and go through a topic before he decides to carry it to front page...Everything is not about generating viewing traffic.

Sadly he has refused to listen thus far.

NiRfreak:
Spare me your civility claim......civility indeed.....your mindset abt their age let u out.

Eiya, I can feel your frustration. Bye

The reason Nigeria performs well in U17 but doesn't in the major world cup is simple, they don't allow these youngsters grow together into the senior team. You won't see or hear of most of these talented young lads ever again after this

dabossman:


Wow, Brazil, Argentina and Spain don't do well in age grade competitions? Case closed. And then you say Nigeria has a boisterous youth programme? Where? Under the bridges, or at the corner fields where boys play set? Seriously? I went to a secondary school where we did sports and played competitions. My mates who were in the school team did not have the same stature as I did. They were bigger, with better developed muscles because they were athletes and they could play soccer at great pace and take long shots that covered distances; and they were more than 11, not to talk of the whole Nigeria.

you know what? I know a way to shut you up. Why is that Nigeria is the undisputed giant of the under 17 championship but are nowhere to be found in competitions where there is a level playing field?

Let dem talk buh me am 100% sure dat none of our under17 players r less dan 24........its nt by support as I av been reading since its jst dat dey feel too proud wen dey av already made little name nd money for Example during d last under 20 world cup coach manu garba complained of d attitude of iheanacho success etc dey were feeling lyk messi nd ronaldo nt knowing dey r jst lyk Macheda nd Fabio I dnt believe a real 20 years old player with a bright career lyk diers wud fall see martial for example if any of u here watch Principal Cup den u will see yung players nd stop deceiving urself with nonsense pics

Bollinger:


you know what? I know a way to shut you up. Why is that Nigeria is the undisputed giant of the under 17 championship but are nowhere to be found in competitions where there is a level playing field?

Oh by all means I will oblige you by giving a number of reasons, even though Safarigirl, Semidlyfe and several others have stated it repeatedly hear. The below is a thread I created two years ago just during the 2013 U17 tourney. The question is will you and others be objective enough to accept this reasons, or is it convenient to put everything down to age falsification.

Sadly, what many of you who keep shouting this age thing do not realize is that until we tackle the more important issue of proper youth development, strength our local league and also improve our coaching, we may never reach the heights we desire at the senior World Cup. Mind you only eight teams out of the hundreds of countries around the globe have ever won the World Cup. And the country that has won it the most, Brazil, are confirmed age cheats. So why has it worked for them?

The flip side of your argument that we don't do well at senior level because of age falsification is also to ask why England doesn't do well at senior level? Is it because they are age cheats? What about the US? They have a large population. Their women dominate female soccer, so why can't their men do same? Or are they age cheats too? What about Russia? Even Argentina that are the undisputed kings of U20 in the last 20 years have not won the World Cup and only made it past the quarter-finals for the first time last year, since 1990.

Please read what I have pasted below especially point 3 and 4.

dabossman:
With the Golden Eaglets recent qualification for the finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the UAE, the perennial question of what becomes of these talented youngsters has started to ring out again. The age long (no pun intended) argument about age falsification within the nation’s youth teams is an ever constant colossus that usually overshadows whatever laurels the U-17’s or U-20’s win.
Nigeria has won the U-17 tourney three times and has played in the U-20 finals twice, throwing up a pool of amazing youngsters that showed so much promised and left Nigerians dreaming of a strong Super Eagles that would one day win the World Cup. However, that dream is still but a dream.

One factor that most Nigerians believe is responsible for this failure to transfer youth team success to the senior level is the tendency for youth players to falsify their ages. Many Nigerians tend to ask, “What happened to the stars of the all-conquering U-17 teams we had before?” Where are the likes of Peter Anosike, Ibrahim Babangida and Sambo Choji of the class of ’93; Femi Opabunmi, Soga Sambo and Temile Omonigho of 2001, King Osanga, Macauley Chrisantus, Yakubu Alfa of 2007? And these questions are not out of place.
However, the truth is that this phenomenon is not only peculiar to Nigeria. Usually, only a handful of youth players ever go on to have glorious careers at senior level; in most cases, between three to five players per squad.

It is very easy to say Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti played for Italy in 1993, Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres played for Spain in 2001, or Toni Kroos played for Germany in 2007 as did Eden Hazard and Christian Benteke for Belgium and Borjan and David De Gea for Spain. But how many of their team mates can we remember? How many of the squad of 18/21 players then, play for their senior teams today?
Where are the promising stars of yore like Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec (France U-17 2001) who were quickly snapped up by Liverpool? Pongolle was the only one lucky to get a single cap for the senior team. What of Fran Merida and Daniel Aquino (Spain U-17 2007) who have never been capped by Spain. Merida who was once an Arsenal youngster now plays for a lowly team in Brazil. Where is Richard Sukuta-Pasu (Germany U-17 2007) who scored four goals on their way to third-place?

The same is the trend at U-20 level. You only need to do a comprehensive research to discover that most youth players from the U-17 and U-20’s, even those from winning squads, usually just fade of into their local leagues and never get more than one to five senior caps if they are lucky. Many never do.

Below are a few reasons why youth players and Nigerian youth players in particular, never make it to the senior team.

1. A Large Biennial Pool of Players
The U-17 and U-20 World Cups take place every two years. This means that large pools of about 42 youth players are showcased on the world stage constantly every two years. That is 84 in four years, and 126 in six years. So imagine Nigeria, or any nation at that playing at U-17 and U-20 consecutively for six years and producing 126 potential senior team players. How many will end up making the cut?

2. Quality Senior players often play for over a decade
The chances of youth team players breaking into the senior team is also limited because their senior colleagues usually play for many years thus shutting them out of the senior squad. How many youth players between 2001 and 2008 stood a chance of displacing Joseph Yobo, Austin Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Vincent Enyeama, John Utaka, Obafemi Martins and the likes from the senior team? You would have to be exceptionally talented and extraordinarily lucky to do so. In the same vein, players like Asier Illaramendi, Nacho and Borjan (Spain U17 2007) will probably never get more than the one or two senior caps as long as Xavi Alonso, Gerard Pique and the like of Xavi and Iniesta continue to play for La Roja, just like Haruna Lukman and Rabiu Ibrahim.

3. The Quality of the Local League
A lot of youth players go on to enjoy their footballing careers playing in their national leagues. So many English players that we know from watching so much of the EPL played at youth level. We watch many former youth players in the La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and other top European Leagues even when they never play for the seniors. Can we say the same for Nigeria?

Most of our youth team players end up in the back leagues of Europe simply because they will settle for any deal that will pay foreign currency. At least with that they can support their families back home.

Yes some of our former youth players like Akpan Bassy have had long careers in the local league. Some have returned home after misadventures in Europe. But how many of them do we know of? How can we even know of them when we hardly follow the league, nor do we get to watch it on television?

4. Bad Career Choices
This is no doubt the bane of many fledgling careers. Our youngsters in a bid to play in Europe will settle for anything, anywhere. From Malta to Cyprus, Bulgaria, Qatar, Vietnam and Moldova; if there is cash to be earned, our players will go. Many do not seek to try and develop their game, but instead join clubs that will only turn them into a mediocre. There is no way you can play in such lower European leagues with players who with all due respect are not of a superior class and it will not affect your game. Even players like Pongolle and Le Tallec as stated above, who played with big names at Liverpool faded away. How much more someone playing in Malta or Liechtenstein?

In reality, it would be very myopic to just relegate the reason why our former youth internationals never graduate to play for the senior national team to just a matter of age falsification. There are many other factors to be considered. Only if these factors can be addressed systematically can we hope to see youngsters like Iheanaco, Yahaya, Awoniyi, Success and the many more that will come after them graduate seamlessly to the Super Eagles.

ok

Bollinger:


you know what? I know a way to shut you up. Why is that Nigeria is the undisputed giant of the under 17 championship but are nowhere to be found in competitions where there is a level playing field?

The most important reason why Nigeria, and even African teams don't do well at senior level is because, African players strengths lie largely in Physical attributes i.e natural fitness, pace, stamina, agility, strength etc. At u17 level it is easy to defeat your opponents with these attributes. However, at senior level, Technical and mental abilities are more likely to get you results than physical qualities.

What are these technical attributes? Crossing, Finishing, First touch, Freekick and penalty taking, passing, marking, tackling, technique.

What about mental attributes? Anticipation, Composure, Concentration, Decision making, Off the ball movement, positioning, Teamwork

Are these not the problems killing our teams? We create chances we can't finish. Striker and defenders lack composure under pressure. Defenders can't mark and tackle poorly thus collecting unnecessary cards. Players can't control the ball because first touch is bad. We hardly score from set pieces and defend them poorly. Wingers can't make effective crosses. We lose concentration the longer games go on. These are the problems. Go and check our World Cup games. You will see that these are the reasons why we lose.

How many of our academies teach these? How many of our coaches even now this? Do you learn this while playing set or playing under the bridge or at Agege stadium? Okocha once said that what the average 20 year old player in Europe knows about technical and mental qualities, most African players don't know even at 27. Go and check any football statistics website or even Football Manager and check for these qualities with African players. It is always high on the physical, but low on the technical and mental. Only a handful ever meet up.

In addition dabossman,

1. Attitude
The average african footballer has little ambition, even less desire to be a great football legend or match up with the all time greats! Most are okay benchwarming (eg mikel) clubs and collecting cheques every week. Worse is the feeling of being a "bigboy", unruly and undisciplined makes it difficult for coaches, and officials to control players. Unnecessary arguments promoted by the media cause great divisions within teams dat want to compete at world class level. attitude never fails ! ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

2. Administration
Here lies the greater problem. Complete and total disorganization of affairs regarding our teams and league. Camping, flight plans, payments, ethnic jingoism, even instability of the football management are greater reasons why nigeria cannot win and may not even qualify for future world cups if we continue like this!

3. League
Until we realize that our national teams success is DIRECTLY linked to our leagues ( yes pro, div1, div2, youth league, etc) we will keep failing! Players should be able to signed from enyimba or rangers to madrid or bayern. And even if they dont we should be able to present club teams dat play against european teams.

4. Support structure
Aw many local league teams av qualified team doctors, physiotherapists, and other health pros attached to them on a weekly basis? What about the national teams? Other issues like counselling, technical depts, coaching development, youth setup of all clubs, long term planning etc.

tosin2013:
In addition dabossman,

1. Attitude
The average african footballer has little ambition, even less desire to be a great football legend or match up with the all time greats! Most are okay benchwarming (eg mikel) clubs and collecting cheques every week. Worse is the feeling of being a "bigboy", unruly and undisciplined makes it difficult for coaches, and officials to control players. Unnecessary arguments promoted by the media cause great divisions within teams dat want to compete at world class level. attitude never fails ! ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

2. Administration
Here lies the greater problem. Complete and total disorganization of affairs regarding our teams and league. Camping, flight plans, payments, ethnic jingoism, even instability of the football management are greater reasons why nigeria cannot win and may not even qualify for future world cups if we continue like this!

3. League
Until we realize that our national teams success is DIRECTLY linked to our leagues ( yes pro, div1, div2, youth league, etc) we will keep failing! Players should be able to signed from enyimba or rangers to madrid or bayern. And even if they dont we should be able to present club teams dat play against european teams.

4. Support structure
Aw many local league teams av qualified team doctors, physiotherapists, and other health pros attached to them on a weekly basis? What about the national teams? Other issues like counselling, technical depts, coaching development, youth setup of all clubs, long term planning etc.

You are absolutely correct. I wonder how we want to excel at the highest level of football when we can't get ourselves properly organized.

dabossman:


The most important reason why Nigeria, and even African teams don't do well at senior level is because, African players strengths lie largely in Physical attributes i.e natural fitness, pace, stamina, agility, strength etc. At u17 level it is easy to defeat your opponents with these attributes. However, at senior level, Technical and mental abilities are more likely to get you results than physical qualities.

What are these technical attributes? Crossing, Finishing, First touch, Freekick and penalty taking, passing, marking, tackling, technique.

What about mental attributes? Anticipation, Composure, Concentration, Decision making, Off the ball movement, positioning, Teamwork

Are these not the problems killing our teams? We create chances we can't finish. Striker and defenders lack composure under pressure. Defenders can't mark and tackle poorly thus collecting unnecessary cards. Players can't control the ball because first touch is bad. We hardly score from set pieces and defend them poorly. Wingers can't make effective crosses. We lose concentration the longer games go on. These are the problems. Go and check our World Cup games. You will see that these are the reasons why we lose.

How many of our academies teach these? How many of our coaches even now this? Do you learn this while playing set or playing under the bridge or at Agege stadium? Okocha once said that what the average 20 year old player in Europe knows about technical and mental qualities, most African players don't know even at 27. Go and check any football statistics website or even Football Manager and check for these qualities with African players. It is always high on the physical, but low on the technical and mental. Only a handful ever meet up.

I smell football managrr

dabossman:


You are absolutely correct. I wonder how we want to excel at the highest level of football when we can't get ourselves properly organized.

Most nigerians think that all you need to do to win the world cup is to gather some "Real" 17 yr olds to win u-17, then they will automatically win the senior world cup in 5-7 yrs.

Analysis wise, nigerians are generally poor.

Oluwaseytiano:
I smell football managrr

Lol.

OsamedeHazard10:
Let dem talk buh me am 100% sure dat none of our under17 players r less dan 24........its nt by support as I av been reading since its jst dat dey feel too proud wen dey av already made little name nd money for Example during d last under 20 world cup coach manu garba complained of d attitude of iheanacho success etc dey were feeling lyk messi nd ronaldo nt knowing dey r jst lyk Macheda nd Fabio I dnt believe a real 20 years old player with a bright career lyk diers wud fall see martial for example if any of u here watch Principal Cup den u will see yung players nd stop deceiving urself with nonsense pics

So this is the lame reason why you believe that the players are over aged?? If you were carried to court to defend this claim, is it this trash you will say without substantial evidence.... Calling you a stupiid cow is an under statement... Chiaaaa, this country is filled with fo0lish youths..

ikombe:
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Happy birthday celebrations to this
lovely Nairalanders!

thank you very very much lol,

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Happy birthday celebrations to this
lovely Nairalanders!

Thank you my man.