Golden Eaglets: Are they over-aged

A Mexican newspaper has dredged up fresh suspicions that Nigerian team at the Under 17  FIFA World Cup  usually break the age limit rules.

La Aficion made the allegation in an article entitled ‘African children ‘veterans’, published Tuesday.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, the most successful in the history of the tournament, with four trophies, are billed to meet Mexico in the  semifinals at Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup  on Thursday.

In Chile 2015 Nigeria defeated Brazil,  cup favorites, with a 3-0 score.

Nigeria’s U-17 team defeated Mexico twice in the 2013 World Cup. The first time with a score of 6-1 in the group phase and the second one in the final game, with a 3-0 score.

The article cited the case of Taribo West, who never featured in the U-17 tournaments, but who joined Partizan Belgrade at the age of 28, when he was probably 40 years.

The article also cited the accusation by  Nigerian former international, Adokiye Amiesimaka that Fortune Chukwudi, captain of the Under 17 team was over aged.

Adokiye said then that the captain of the 2009 Under 17  team, was a member of a feeder team of below 20 years that he assembled for Sharks Football Club in 2002-2003 and the age of Chukwudi then was 18.

“In the 2002/2003 season, I was chairman of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt. I decided to have a feeder team of fresh school leavers not older than 20 years.. One of my key players then is the current captain of our so-called Under 17 Golden Eaglets. By his own admission at that time, that is seven years ago, he was 18 years old…If we are not utterly irresponsible, how can he be eligible for this tournament when he is not less than 25 years old now?,” Adokiye wrote then in an article in PUNCH.

The Nigerian Football Federation denied the coach’s statement and defended the younger players.

In the 2013 edition of U-17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates, there was another controversy around the Nigerian team, who beat 4-1 Iran. The Iranian coach questioned the age of the Nigerian players.

The newspaper said the Nigerians have been playing like ‘cachirules’ to take advantage of their opponents. Cachirules is a reference to an age-cheating scandal by Mexico in 1988, when the country fielded at least four over-aged players in the CONCACAF tournament for Under 20 team. The tournament was a qualification one for 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.

FIFA imposed a severe sanction on Mexico Football Federation, banning its senior and underage teams from all international competition for two years (1988–1990). As a result, Mexico national team was absent from the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The scandal has been considered a turning point in the history of football in Mexico.