Soccer team's 'gay hair' ban

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While England's football supremos fret over manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's lively love life, Nigerian officials have found themselves in an even hairier situation.

But their plight has little to do with fending off rumours of torrid affairs. Rather, they are trying to get their young players to stop wearing hair braids, dreadlocks and earrings - as it makes them 'look gay'.

Many of Nigeria's top stars, including captain Jay- Jay Okocha, striker Nwankwo Kanu and former Derby player Taribo West, have braided hair but the style is deemed too much.

Some sports administrators feel players should be banned if they arrive with unusual hairdos. 'They should even be suspended for some years,' said official Ahmed Lawan.

Referees at a forthcoming junior tournament should remove offending players even if they are the best on the field because their behaviour was culturally unacceptable and promoted homosexuality, he added.

Mr Lawan's comments echoed that of a government official from the information ministry, Otunba Olusegun Runshewe.

He said last week: 'Don't forget that in the developing world the braiding of hair and earrings have a sense of homosexuality.'

But not everyone agrees. One male spectator said: 'I don't see it as if these guys are gay. I see them portraying African culture in another perspective.'

 

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