These Nigerian boys dey play football o”. So says Abdulazeez, my Nigerian friend visiting the country from his base in Gabon. He has been watching the Flying Eagles, the Nigerian Under-20 national team, in Colombia.  

I am also closely following the on-going FIFA Under-20 championship, particularly the matches involving the Nigerian team. Anyone watching the championship in Colombia is likely to come to the same conclusion as he did that these Nigerians players are a truly talented bunch, and the team, very formidable. So far, the team has been very compact and solid, and has played some of the most open and entertaining matches in the championship with the simplicity of  style of play, direct uncomplicated approach to goalscoring and amazing discipline. The team has scored the most goals in the championship, conceded the least, collected the least number of cards (yellow or red) and demonstrated a composure and maturity well beyond the players ages!

As the opposition gets more difficult and the Nigerian team’s dominance on the field is being challenged, the team continues to maintain a consistent level of confidence and uncommon comfortability on the ball. It is becoming increasingly challenging for analysts to see how the team will not get to the finals of the competition seeing how the players have conducted themselves so far. Should the Flying Eagles get there  it follows that the atmosphere of the finals will introduce all manner of factors that can turn the event into one that anything can happen including the possibility of Nigeria winning the championship for the first time in its history. One thing is indisputable for now - no one doubts the fact that the team has been so impressive that it will surprise no one if it wins it. The players need to remain confident, focused and respectful of every opposition. Nothing and no opposing team must be taken for granted or underestimated.   

The occasionally shaky defence, particularly during set-pieces, is more than compensated for by a rampaging frontline that keeps the other team busy all night trying to stop the extremely mobile and quick forwards. For me, there is really nothing more to say or add other than to seat back, relax, watch and see how any team would play and stop them. The question being asked is where did the team came from knowing how poor the domestic game is at producing great teams?  The answer is that the team has been together for a long time having played together since the 2009 Under-17 FIFA championship that Nigeria hosted, got to the finals and lost narrowly. Such a team that has been within touching distance of a global trophy is psychologically better prepared than most to win laurels. Additionally, most of the players now play for foreign clubs and have gained in experience since 2009.   
 
Unfortunately, the questions that hung menacingly over the 2009 team still provides the small darkening cloud around the Nigerian team. Not a few persons felt two years ago that many of the players in the team then were older than the ages they claimed. Respected Barrister, Adokie Amiesimaka, even provided some evidence to buttress his claim that he personally knew that one or two of the players were almost 5 years above the ages they claimed and wanted the local football authorities to investigate the matter.

 He was completely neglected and the team went on to play in the finals. This time around there isn’t a public outcry of any sort, just the muted question here and there raising questions about the morality of celebrating victories achieved through the use of older players. Interestingly, the commentators on the live broadcast of the matches have been drawing unwanted attention to the ages of the players,  describing the Nigerian team as the youngest in the entire tournament with the youngest player being less than 18. In spite of Nigeria’s unenviable history of presenting ‘old’ men and  masquerading them as ‘young’ players in the past (twice the country has suffered suspension) this time no one seems to care or be bothered about the ages of the players.

 Their excellent performances and results continue to becloud every such negative consideration. The feeling is that in the absence of any concrete evidence, no one should diminish the excellent display being put up by the Nigerian lads. Everyone should concentrate on enjoying the football spectacle and forget about authenticating documents submitted by desperate young men ready to do anything to join the professional football ranks abroad. This time I agree!

At under-17 level, for instance, an age when players are still physically developing, age difference between the players may give a very significant advantage, but less so when the players get to 20. At 20 the players are almost completely physically formed and developed and age differential becomes less of a winning factor. Those that insist that the Nigerian players look too strong, too fast, too fit, and too mature to be less than 19 miss the point. I remind them that in the world of sport 20 is very mature. What therefore matters here is that beyond being physically strong and fast and fit, the Nigerian boys are good and have been playing well, and that age has little to do with those. The quality of football the team is displaying should not be clouded  with unsubstantiated claims that do not give any significant advantage at this level.

Furthermore, anyone that raises the issue of age would be swimming against the tide of public feelings, and such a voice would be drowned by the cheers of Nigerians lavishly celebrating great entertaining football. Whilst still on this matter, let me recall my conversation with Mumuni Alao, the respected columnist in Complete Sports daily sports newspaper, when we met at a board meeting last Wednesday. As usual with this great thinker, he was spot-on with his view and promised that he would write about it in his column next week. I can’t wait to read his arguments. Meanwhile, I hope I am not taking the thunder out of his column by revealing his simple response to celebrating the Nigerian team. He says he would start to look at and describe the competition as the ‘World Youth Championship’. The word ‘Youth’, he says, is more encompassing and more amenable to an interpretation that will take away the moral burden that comes with using the term ‘Under-20’ when some of the players may be older. He can live with the generic description of all participants in the championship as ‘youth’ and safeguard his professional integrity, rather than referring to it by an age limitation that psychologically draws attention to physical size and looks, rather than performance! his postulation makes sense and provides moral comfort.

Which way anyway though, there is no doubt about the beauty of watching the style and skills of the Flying Eagles. It transcends the issue of age and settles firmly in the realm of artistic expression! The boys are just a marvel and a beauty to watch, period!  

CONVERSATION WITH SADIQ ABDULLAHI

Adjunct Professor Sadiq Abdullahi, former international tennis player, Olympian, former national and African tennis champion, lecturer at the Florida International University, has been in the country these past 7 days. He has been working very closely with me in the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee, NASCOM, as a member of the Board. For decades he has been an advocate and fighter for the revival of tennis at grassroots level without much success to show for it.  

Suddenly, President Goodluck Jonathan comes up with an ingenious initiative and directs the establishment of a body to be responsible for the revival of grassroots sports development through the schools system and Sadiq is included as a member. He initially thought it would be like one of those committees that would start with a bang and much fanfare only to wither and be buried shortly after through neglect and a lack of the political will to see it through.

Then he comes in last week and joins the working group in Abuja. He has had a first hand experience of what’s going on and has been actively involved in the visitations to relevant partners and agencies, and has participated in the intellectual conversations that are ongoing in shaping a clear path to achieving success this time around, all things being equal. The focus now is on creating the foundation upon which the programme will be built and driven, and creating awareness amongst those that will be playing a part in the vision and explaining how they can partner with the project to make a meaningful contribution to the transformation agenda of the federal government. The matter of the youths is of grave national concern. With a strong ‘army’ of frustrated, unemployed, unemployable, poorly educated, illiterate, hungry youth population, Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. Every sector of the Nigerian economy must take up some of the slack and make adequate provision to contribute to the youth crisis. Every sector must contribute its own quota to youth development in the country. The sports, education, youth development and employment generation agencies must come together with schemes and programmes that will engage, empower and re-invigorate the youths.   

So, Sadiq Abdullahi, consummate teacher and coach, has come in to put his experiences and intellectual accomplishments at the disposal of NASCOM in a relationship that is obviously creating great excitement for everyone around and high expectations about the future of sports and the Nigerian youth. I ask him what he thinks about what he sees. He tells me that with the passion and commitment he has seen driving NASCOM, this time around, he sees hope for the future of Nigerian sportsmen and women and is excited to be a part of it.

 So, what happens when he returns to the United States next week? He is going to get down to work, and help build a platform in the Diaspora for those that choose to enrol into American Universities and combine their sports with education. He will make arrangements for an annual visitation of the best talents discovered from the national academicals competitions to summertime sports programmes in America with coaches of American universities in attendance to scout for talents amongst Nigeria’s best authentic athletes from the grassroots.

Hear him: This trip has exposed me to the challenges and promises of developing grassroots sports at the highest federal government level.  NASCOM is positioning itself as a legitimate body to address the grassroots problems in Nigeria as evidenced by the various visitations and presentations to heads of key federal ministries such as education, tourism, information, youths etc. It is very critical for the leadership of these federal ministries to buy in and support this project. My specific mandate is very clear. I will mobilize and engage ex-national/ international sports women and men in the Diaspora in the discussion of sports development. I will create opportunities and provide pertinent information for the elite students in the NASCOM project that they can continue their education. I believe that the national and international orientation will provide the incentive for continued national participation in the development of the country. This is consistent with the vision and aspirations of President Goodluck E. Jonathan and his transformation agenda. To be transformed and to transform a country that has experienced chronic neglect and abuse in all aspects of governance and leadership, particularly in sports, needs a new injection or stimulus. As I return to the United States, I am excited and thankful of the opportunity to serve my country in this capacity. Together, we will succeed.