U-17: Chukwu, Hamilton laud ban on NPL players

Category: Sports Published on Saturday, 05 May 2012 06:00 Written by - Hits: 359

Two former national football coaches, Christian Chukwu and Paul Hamilton, have lauded the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) for banning players in the National Premier League from the U-17 team.

The coaches told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone on Friday, in Lagos, that the ban would prevent the use of over-age players in age-group competitions.

Chukwu, a former coach of the Super Eagles, noted that youth football worldwide was developmental and that it would, therefore, be wrong for any country to use older players to prosecute competitions meant for younger people.

According to him, Nigeria is abundantly blessed with players in the different age categories and should not rely on older players for any age-group competition.

“Age cheating will definitely affect the senior national team, because there will not be already groomed players to replace the old ones,” he said.

Chukwusaid that players aged 17 and below would still be in school, adding that it was the duty of authority managing football to discover them.

The former coach urged football administrators at all levels nationwide to be sensitive to the age-limit issue in their efforts to rebuild a good team for the country.

Hamilton, who coached the Super Falcons, described the use of overage players as bad and unwarranted, noted that it defeated the essence of youth competitions.

“Age cheating in football should be checked across the world in order to maintain the goal of football in identifying the best talents.

“It is bad and it does not give room for people in the age limit the chance to display their talents; in Nigeria we have lots of talents who want to showcase their talent in competitions.

“They should not be denied the chance by dropping them for over-age players,” Hamilton said.  (NAN)