Fifa must stop age-cheating
EDITOR — Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors were on the receiving end at the COSAFA Under-17 Championships in Mauritius and there is no need for coach Moses “Bambo” Chunga to cry over age-cheating.
We should continue doing the proper thing by sending participants from the correct age groups and never be tempted to copy what other African teams or nations are doing, in the process pressing the self-destruct button.
This perennial football cancer of age-cheating and fraud in African youth tournaments like the COSAFA under 17 Championship where our Young Warriors fell victim, will never do any favours to the “culprits”.
For long most African youth tournaments, notably football competitions, have been dragged behind and tarnished by over-age players who often fraudulently enter various youth competitions, often benefiting unfairly on a short-term basis from an unfair advantage gained as a result of physical maturity compared to players of the proper age.
For example, the world soccer governing body FIFA and even CAF have condemned and banned culprits like Nigeria’s youth national teams in 1989.
On a positive note, Zimbabwean youth teams have been sending and fielding the correct age groups.
This is to our advantage in the long-run as these players’ maximum potential is achieved.
Cheating not only brings disrepute and a bad image to African football, but also “kills” the potential of those affected in the long-run.
It’s good that Zimbabwe continues to do the right thing despite the fact that fellow African countries are promoting the opposite.
As such cry not Bambo.