When the ball starts rolling at the Bicentennial Stadium, the players of Nigeria, Javier Mascherano's opponent of Argentina next Wednesday, will once again be in the center of the scene for their physical strength and for their appearance of experience. Yes, again the debate will be installed of whether African footballers are older than they claim to be.
Throughout the history of the World Youth Championships, the ghost of the age of African players flew over. The issue escalated over the years and for that reason FIFA had to get firm with the controls. Still, the issue may fail.
Nigeria, with the rest of the African countries, lives with poverty and deprivation. In many of the continent's cities, civil registration systems are archaic or completely non-existent. Thus, children are born and develop the first years without having an identity document. In addition, as there are very few clubs that have Inferiors, players do not have the possibility of signing. They learn to play in the street, in some schools or minor clubs, in regional leagues.
If any of them stand out, a talent scout can include them in a First or Second category club. There children or adolescents are sometimes forced to change their name and change their age. That is why they arrive at the selections older than the document assures. Attentive to this problem that dates back years, FIFA found a principle solution: carry out magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the wrists of youth players. X-rays of theepiphyseal cartilage of the left wrist have been used for decades in courts and pediatrics to clarify age. This cartilage remains open during growth and closes at different times as age and maturity increases.
Daniel Bameyi in front of Brazil.Photo: AFP
FIFA still encourages associations to use the method and uses it in U17 competitions. Earlier this year, for example, Cameroon disaffected 21 of the 30 called up to play African Nations Championships for failing the IRM test.
In this World Cup, the one targeted by all is Daniel Bameyi, the captain of the Eagles of supposed 17 years. The story of this defender came to light because little is known of his past and he had a huge performance in the 2-0 win against Italy. Many wondered where Bameyi played and a ghost club appeared: Yum Yum FC. There is no mention of the team in question in the Nigerian Football Federation, although it is possible that it is an amateur team that plays in regional leagues.
Something very peculiar happens with Bameyi: nobody knows where he plays, but he already represented (was cited) the Senior Team in a friendly match against Costa Rica. There he shared training with Napoli striker Victor James Osimhen, among others.
A nice eighth-final duel looms between the candidate Argentina and the enigmatic and powerful Nigeria, that team that is usually in the eye of the storm by the ghost of the past players.
San Juan. Special envoy.
