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CC™ VideoSpective

Kaiki Bruno can’t be U-20 as Brazil’s U-20 team branded as age-cheats

Kaiki Bruno

CC™ Editorial 

By Dapo Adegoke - Contributing Editor

That Brazil and Argentina have always cheated at the age grade competitions, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in particular, has never been in question. It is therefore no coincidence that both Brazil and Argentina are serial winners, each taking home the coveted trophy five and six times respectively.

What is however not debatable is that both nations are serial cheaters, both using over-aged players under the tutelage of an array of Brazilian youth coaches, and Jose Pekerman on the Argentine side, respectively. 

Pekerman won three FIFA U-20 World Cup titles along with two South American titles at the same age grade. He coached the Junior Albiceleste from 1994 - 2001 winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1995, 1997 and 2001 respectively. 

There were always rumors about most of the players he scouted and developed for those teams being age cheats, and that being the reason for his success at that level. The fact that he (Pekerman) could never replicate that success at the senior level further served to give ammunition to those rumors and accusations.

 Brazil have also been under the suspicious cloud of cheating at the same tournament, over the years. The current tournament being held in neighboring Argentina has however brought this into even greater focus. 

Several of Brazil’s players namely left-back Kaiki Bruno (in particular) have been called out by fans and even opposing players as age cheats. And it definitely was not a coincidence that the aforementioned Kaiki Bruno, with his distinctive and well curated mustache, was consigned to the bench, not seeing a single minute of action, in Brazil’s shock 3-2 loss to Israel in the quarter finals.

FIFA must display fairness across the board on this issue. The football world governing body cannot be seen to have sacred cows, when it comes to the issue of cheating in competitions designed primarily, to unearth the next generation of great talents for the beautiful game.

Take a seat Kaiki Bruno. You belong with the men, not the boys. Let the boys play while the men watch, as you did from the bench against Israel.