This Day (Lagos)

Nigeria/Mali: Maigari Blasts Mali FA Over Age-Cheats

19 November 2012

Alhaji Aminu Maigari, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has taken a swipe at the Mali Football Federation (MFF) for allegedly parading 'old men' as teenagers against the Golden Eaglets in Sunday's 2013 Under-17 African Junior Championship qualifier in Calabar

Maigari, a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship, said the action of the MFA is inimical to the overall development of football on the continent, adding that the NFF would follow the protest against the eligibility of such clearly over-aged players in a cadet competition to a conclusive end.

"I was ashamed of the Malian FA when I saw their players and it was glaring that these are not Under-17 players," a clearly angry Maigari said after a hard-won 2-0 victory by the Nigerian youngsters.

"This Malian team that was paraded against the Golden Eaglets could pass off as the senior national team of Mali but it is good that we beat them fairly here."

Meanwhile, Maigari has further commended the coaching crew of the Golden Eaglets for a job well done so far, adding that the NFF would give them the backing all the way to succeed in their assignment.

"We at the NFF are real proud of this set of coaches we have with the Under-17 team and without any doubt, they are the best of all our national teams," he noted.

"I'm saying this with all sense of responsibility that the Golden Eaglets coaches are the best we have today when we look at all the national teams and I'm confident they would guide the Golden Eaglets to the 2013 African Under-17 Championship in Morocco."

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  • voxtafes
    Nov 21 2012, 09:50
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    I would want to advise Alhaji Maigara,to make sure his ward the u-17 cadet,concentrate on how to beat Malian cadet team in Bamako rather than banking on protest. I am a Nigerian living in Mali,Malians are naturally big,he should not use their size to judge them if he does not have a concrete evidence on the acclaimed age cheats. I would rather refer him to Keshi who has managed Malian national Team,who knows Malians better than he does ,for more facts on Malian structures and physic before filing any protest.