Iraq under-16 pulls out of football tournament after several players found to be overage

The players were told to shave by the team’s staff “to look younger.”

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s under-16 football team has pulled out of the 2018 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship in Jordan after several of their squad members were found to be overage.

The Iraq Football Association (IFA) on Monday said at least nine of the 23 players set to compete in the WAFF Championship on Aug. 1 were overage.

Airport officials in Baghdad made the discovery as the squad prepared to board a flight to the Jordanian capital of Amman which will host the tournament.

AFP quoted an anonymous Iraqi football source who said airport officials confiscated nine passports following suspicions over some of the players’ date of birth.

According to the source, the players were told to shave by the team’s staff “to look younger.”

Meanwhile, the IFA said an investigation is underway against the accused team officials and players.

“The technical and administrative staff of the under-16s team have been dismissed, and action will be taken against those players who falsified their age,” Iraq’s football body said.

The IFA has uncovered similar cases in the past where players lied about their age.

Earlier this year, the association suspended 18 players after finding photos posted on social media at ballot stations in Iraq’s May 12 elections. The legal age to vote in Iraq is 18, so this proved the players were over 18.

The U-16 side was set to defend their 2015 WAFF title.

The IFA told AFP that it would make sure the under-19s who are set to participate in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia next month are the correct age.