AS the national U-17 male team (Golden Eaglets) coaches and their female counterparts (Flamingoes) battle to convince football-loving Nigerians on the ages of players being used for qualifiers for the forthcoming FIFA youth competitions, there has arisen another uproar in the women football circle, this time, in Falconets' camp.Falconets' coach, Edwin Okon, had invited 29 players to camp ahead of the second round of the African qualifying series for 2012 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup against the winner of the fixture between Zimbabwe and Mozambique on March 31. The Zimbabwean team has just been confirmed as Nigeria's opponent after beating Mozambique 7-0 on aggregate last weekend.However, some keen followers of women football in Nigeria are not comfortable with the names of players invited to the Falconets' camp in Abuja. Seven of the 29 players currently in the Abuja camp had represented Nigeria in the same championship (U-20 World Cup) two years ago in Germany.These are Gloria Ofoegbu, Uchechi Sunday and Ebere Orji (all of Rivers Angels), Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons), Esther Sunday (Sunshine Queens), Desire Oparanozie (Delta Queens) and Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars).But more worrisome is the fact that a player like Orji featured at the 2008 edition of the U-20 World Cup held in Chile before playing in the last edition in Germany, meaning that they would be participating in the same competition three times (2008, 2010 and 2012) should Nigeria qualify for the 2012 edition in Japan.Orji played alongside Rita Chikwelu, Ulunma Jerome, Sarah Michael and Tawa Ishola at the 2008 edition of the U-20 World Cup, most of whom have retired from the senior national team. Also, three of the players - Orji, Sunday and Okparanozie had played for the senior team, the Super Falcons, at the last FIFA Women World Cup in 2011.The trio of Orji, Ofoegbu and Okparanozie had launched their international football career featuring for Nigeria at the 2008 edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, former coach of the Super Falcons, Ismalia Mabo, wondered how possible it would be for a player to feature in the same FIFA U-20 competition on three occasions: 'It is so strange to me because under normal circumstances, a player who featured in two previous U-20 competitions should be above the age by the time the third edition is taking place.'If some of the invited players actually took part in the 2008 FIFA U-20 World Cup, I don't see any reason they should be eligible for the 2012 edition. I don't know the age they declared on their first appearance in 2008, but as a coach, I want to say that it is not common to see the same player appearing in the same championship at three different occasions.'Others who spoke with The Guardian on the list yesterday tongue-lashed the team's handlers, saying that the 'continuous recycling' of players in the same competition would do Nigeria's football more harms than good.'I believe that some officials in the football house might have fixed almost the same age for these players years back so that they would be eligible to play in the same competition as many times as they wish. But this is not doing our football any good,' a female football coach said on condition of anonymity.'I don't see the possibility of a Nigerian coach inviting a 12-year old female player for an U-20 competition six years ago. Are they trying to convince us that Orji represented Nigeria at the 2008 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup at the age of 11 or 12' This is unfair to our football.'To me, there is no need lining up these players for the U-20 World Cup in Japan since they have featured for the senior team at Germany 2011 World Cup. A coach who is not lazy would have scouted for replacement for them in the junior team instead of rotating the same set of players in the same under age competition.'But I want to put the blame on the doorstep of the NFF and the supervising Sports Ministry for this rot in our football. If they really want the best for the junior teams, the coaches should be held accountable for these rubbish in the system.'Officials of Kenya's U-17 female team had accused the coach Peter Dedevbo-tutored Flamingoes of fielding over-aged players in the African qualifiers recently, but officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) defended it, saying that the Kenyans were alarmists.One of the strikers in the U-17 team, Patience Okaemu, who scored Nigeria's two goals in the first leg in Nairobi, was said to have played for Pelican Stars of Calabar for about three seasons before crossing over to Delta Queens this season.Another player in the Flamingoes team, Halima Ayinde, was said to have featured for Nassarawa Amazons last season. Also in the team is Oluchi Offoegbu, who was said to have featured for Pelican Stars in the last football season, just as Jennifer Ajuya was said to have been in the fold of Delta Queens since 2004, playing for the club's Feeders team before graduating to the main team.There is also Jiroro Idike, who was said to have joined Delta Queens in 2010. With that allegation of cheating raised against the female U-17 side still ranging, Golden Eaglets' coach, Manu Garba, invited some premier league players, including Mustapha Babadidi and Sanusi Sani from Gombe United and two Rangers' players to the team.As one sports analyst put it yesterday, 'I know that some officials of the NFF will come out to defend the fraudulent act in the U-20 team by insisting that all the invited players are within the stipulated age. They will preach the usual gospel by making reference to the players' international passports.'In a society where people think normally, I expect the NFF to stop handlers of the U-20 women team from parading this same set of players for the 2012 championship in Japan. If FIFA is not talking to us, time has come when we should tell ourselves the truth.'Some other players in the Falconets camp are Ugochi Okafor (Pelican Stars), Ebubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels), Stella Henry (Pelican Stars), Eucharia Okafor (Delta Queens), Lola Phillips (Confluence Queens), Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels), Fasilat Adeyemo (Confluence Queens) and Rose Usman (Osun Babes).Others are Francesca Ordega (Rivers Angels), Asisat Olushola (FC Robo), Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels), Charity Adule (Bayelsa Queens), Cecilia Nku (Bayelsa Queens), Foluke Osundele (Sunshine Queens), Eno Umoh (Ibom Queens), Aminat Yakubu (FC Robo) and Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens).Also in the camp are Damilola Akano (Sunshine Queens), Jane David (Delta Queens), BlessingEchelpu (Benue Queens), Chioma Nwankwo (Nasarawa Amazons) and Akhere Idemudia (Inneh Queens).
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