Posted by By Onochie Anibeze on
Nigeria Football Association yesterday wrote Inter Milan, the Italian club of Obafemi Martins to deny their own website and state clearly that their Nigerian striker was born on 28 October 1984 and not May 1, 1978 as wrongly posted in the association's site that sparked off controversy in Europe and Africa.
Nigeria Football Association yesterday wrote Inter Milan, the Italian club of Obafemi Martins to deny their own website and state clearly that their Nigerian striker was born on 28 October 1984 and not May 1, 1978 as wrongly posted in the association's site that sparked off controversy in Europe and Africa.
The NFA site, full of errors and characterizing properly the inept football house so embarrassed Obafemi Martins that the lad vowed never to play for Nigeria again. The NFA site portrayed him as a cheat and his career was threatened. But NFA chairman, Ibrahim Galadima said yesterday that the association had responded to Inter Milan on his true age and said that he hoped that the matter would be sorted out, regretting the embarrassment the error has caused both Obafemi and the NFA.
'An agency was hired to run a website for us but the site had not been officially launched and they must have been working on our behalf, thinking that they were doing us good by working unofficially. But I directed the secretariat to reply Inter and also write to FIFA to give the true picture," Galadima said on phone from his Kano residence few minutes after he arrived from Abuja.
'We also referred to all matches including FIFA matches that he has played where we filled October 28, 1984 as his date of birth in all the match forms. The records are there for everyone to see. The website posted a wrong information and we regret that blunder. I can understand his frustration and anger that made him say he will not play for Nigeria again. I have asked the secretariat to call him and talk to him. It was unfortunate."
Many Nigerians are calling on the FA to resign over this blunder that has ridiculed the country. It was just one of the numerous blunders that have truly exposed the incompetence of the current board of FA.