The Flamingoes defeated the Kenyan U17 Women team by 2:0 in Nairobi in the first leg of this year's FIFA U17 World Cup qualifier between the two last Saturday but Kenya's team coach claimed his team played against an over-aged Nigerian side.
Dedevbo, who spoke with Trustsports at the team's camp in the National Abuja National Stadium yesterday, dismissed the claim, saying it was only an excuse to save the face of his defeated team.
He maintained that, most of his players were picked from secondary schools and football academics in the country while a hand full of them were brought in after their exploits at the last year's National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt.
The Flamingoes' coach practically defended the age of his players by assembling the team immediately, in an effort to provide Trustsports an opportunity to see the players physically.
He pointed out that, "As far as I am concerned, we don't have any over-aged player in the team. They should think of how to develop their women football in their country instead of blaming us for their defeat. We have been playing women football for over 25 years and it is impossible to parade a shabby team."
Dedevbo maintained that the hard work of the technical crew and the players put the team in a level above every other team in their category in the continent, claiming that the Kenyans were lucky to conceive only two goals because of the harsh weather and the partiality in the part of the referees.
"We are focus, hard working and know what we are gunning for. These have been our strength all this while and I don't know of any other team in the continent that has our qualities. We have a very good league in the country and everybody knows about it," he boasted.
by Joshua Odeyemi
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