“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 Columbia.
I am also closely following the on-going FIFA Under-20 championship, particularly the matches involving the Nigerian team. Anyone watching the championship in Columbia 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, focussed 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 Amiasimaka, 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!