BLOG: Football need the Anti-age fraud Agency more than Wada

• To the readers in Zambia, Wada is the other name of Chipolopolo head coach, Wedson Nyirenda. But here I am refereeing to the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

Yes, football needs the World Anti Age Fraud Agency (WAAFA) more than Wada.

Albeit few cases of Age cheating have been brought to the book, many footballers are small boys trapped in an elderly body.

The truth of the matter is, Age cheating is not just something in our imaginations. It is real and all of us; the media, fans, administrators, intermediaries and the stakeholders somehow are contributing to this fraudulent.

The media seem not to be caring so much in doing separate researches, so as to be in possession of full facts, in regards to the real age of players in skepticism. They go to bed with whatever age the player shoves down their throats, even when it seems otherwise.

The fans are always blinded with patriotism. Always putting on and viewing things in patriotic spectacles.

Honest is an alien thing and pointing out the wrong is an act of being not loyal to one’s own football nation. You can be martyred, if not being labeled as an enemy of progress.

The Administrators are in hurry to reap and win at all cost. They see to it  that, over aged players are used at underage level, so as to be seen as successful, even when it’s not yet harvesting time.

And the Agents. In fact they have a larger portion in contributing to this rot. They know that, players below the age of 18, can never move to greener pasture in Europe; thus reducing the age.

Besides, a 19-year old player trapped in a body of a 25-year full grown gentleman will perform better in an underage tournament, hence the price tag is high and the agent gets a good cut.

Having said that, there seem to be less energy wasted on curbing the rot, in comparison to doping.

Indeed, age cheating is a shortcut to building temporal structures. This is evident in African teams bestriding Global youth tournaments but failing to win the FIFA World Cup.

WHAT TO DO TO CURB AGE CHEATING

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has done nothing but contributing to the rot. Because of it’s inaccuracy, people have no fear to undergo the tests.

We have seen on various cases players undergoing the tests twice and the outcome being different.

A case study of Nickolas Mulilo of Zambia, who at home fooled the tests but could not do the same at Cosafa, hence the entire team being disqualified from the 2016 U-17 regional tournament.

My plea to FIFA, the World’s governing body is to constitute strong rules against this rot. If possible let’s have an Anti Age Cheating Taskforce synonymous to the the Racism taskforce which was chaired by Congolese FA President, Constant Omari and had members like Nigeria and British seasoned Journalist, Osasu Obiayiwana.

May we also have Associations taking over the running of business at Inter School competitions, because this is the other area of Genesis to age cheating.

Lastly but not the least, documents, albeit sometimes they can doctored, such as birth certificates should be presented when submitting the list of players set to participate in a a particular underage tournament.