It’s very easy and convenient to look at the U20 team of Nigeria and complain about how poor they were at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will play at in the losers’s final after losing 0-1 in the semi final to Gambia.
The display of the Nigerian team was termed as boring by a lot of people going by the pedigree of Nigeria in youth football in Africa and the world to an extent. The team failed to entertain or play in any way that can be said to be the typical way a Nigerian team should play.
All of that could probably have been better if head coach of the team Ladan Bosso caved in to pressure from club owners and agents to include their players despite evidences that they were above the age limit.
OGN supremo, Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman who covered the team from the early days of their formation till date said a lot of players who were part of the preparation were axed after it was discovered that they falsify their ages. Some even travelled out of the country with a passport that is different from the one they are using now.
” I am surprised people are not asking questions about some of the players who did during well during the training camp in Abuja. I can tell you that players who scored 75% on their goals while in camp where axed over age falsification. Bosso deserve praises for what he did”, Mowiz revealed.
” The pressure from some club owners and agents was mad but he held his own against the good of his team at the tournament. I remember when I asked about a player and he told me he has issues with his documenta. My next question was how will you cope? He said the team rather struggle than for Nigeria to be banned from youth football.
” Three of them he told me travelled for trails abroad for trials with a passport that isn’t the same age with the one they have now. Also players from the NPFL with different ages on the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) were also axed. He did all that for the good of Nigeria in the future”, he rounded up saying.
