Big Soccer Scam in Nigeria

(Abuja, Nigeria) According to Nigeria's opposition party, the Action Congress (AC), organizers for Nigeria's teenage soccer team are preparing for the FIFA U-17 World Cup (U-17 = under 17 years old) with players who are old men.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said it was particularly shocking and disappointing that the discovery occurred with just about two months to the tournament to be hosted by Nigeria, giving the country little or no time to replace the over age players.

It's said the implication is that Nigeria would send a makeshift team to the competition, with the result that it faced a first round elimination from a tournament that was costing the country's tax payers billions of Naira to stage.

"Even with the best team that is adequately prepared, Nigeria faces an uphill task in the competition, having been zoned into the 'Group of Death' with Germany, Argentina and Honduras in the first round.

"Now with the possibility that Nigeria will field a makeshift team at best, the country stands no chance in the forthcoming tournament. This will be a shame of international proportion and we need to fish out those responsible for selecting the team and slam them with appropriate sanctions to prevent a recurrence," AC said, adding that football was too important to Nigeria as a source of unity to be toyed with by unscrupulous officials.

I'm shocked! Attempts to deceive? Unscrupulousness? Passing off old men as teenagers? In Nigeria? I'm shocked!

However, it should be noted that Nigeria was previously banned for fielding over-age players and apparently didn't take adequate corrective action.

Frankly, I'd suggest that blatant scamming and cheating are not necessarily foreign concepts to the Nigerian population in general. I've heard stories and I personally have been contacted by a guy who "by chance" acquired $20 million. He said I could have some.