Nagogo Moses Bako, the Chief Operating Officer of Soccer Queens, shares his candid opinion on the problem of overaged players participating in grassroots football tournaments.
He highlighted the prevalence of age discrepancies in many female academies, where players claimed to be younger than they actually were.
According to Bako, “Lots of the female academies we have don’t know what they are actually doing in terms of recruiting and registrations. In an academy where there should be 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds, you end up having people who are 20 and above.” He emphasized the importance of academy owners being honest with themselves and their players, guiding them toward more suitable vocational training opportunities.
He also criticized the false promises made to players about opportunities to play football abroad, stating, “If you can’t play good football at the grassroots level, what gives you the guarantee that you would go and play football abroad at that age?”
Bako suggested that a lack of regulatory oversight contributes to this problem and called for stricter regulation. He praised the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria for conducting thorough screenings to ensure players meet age requirements. He urged state football associations to scrutinize registered academies and enforce age restrictions to maintain the integrity of grassroots football.
In conclusion, Bako stressed the need for honesty and regulation in grassroots football to prevent the participation of overaged players, thereby ensuring fair competition and player development.
