Iraq U16 National Team Caught For Using Overage Players

The Iraq U16 national team has been caught using overage players. Airport officials in Baghdad were suspicious of the players, who had used the trick of shaving as a way to look younger.

The players were told to shave by the team’s staff “to look younger.” #Iraq #WAFFChampionship #Ammanhttps://t.co/GfQH3vPpht

— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) July 31, 2018

The team was heading to the West Asia Football Federation tournament, which was to be held in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. However, those plans have now been scuppered. 

It wasn’t just one or two overage players, either. A report in The News International stated “several of the 23 players for the West Asia Football Federation tournament starting on Wednesday were found to be overage.” 

Of course, all officials involved with the team were promptly sacked by the Iraq Football Association (IFA).

Several of the 23 players for the West Asia Football Federation (WAFF) tournament starting on Wednesday were found to be overage, said the Iraq Football Association (IFA), which immediately sacked the squad officials.

— Indian Football Team-For World Cup (@IFTWC) July 31, 2018

This isn’t the first time that an overage scandal has rocked the IFA. Earlier this year, a whopping 18 players were suspended for trying to pass as younger in age by forging their identity documents.

Also, some overage players were caught on through social media, as there were pictures of them showing that they had voted in May during Iraq’s elections and proving themselves as over 18.

To think these guys got away with it before they were busted is ludicrous. I suppose it was a notion of “hear no evil, see no evil,” except the evil was seen and heard by airport officials. Nice try, guys.