British rapper Dave has sparked controversy after taking a swipe at Nigerian footballers in his new album, The Boy Who Plays the Harp.
In a track titled Chapter 16, the rapper compared women who lie about their age to Nigerian strikers, rapping, “H*es lying about their age like Nigerian strikers.”
The line quickly went viral, with many Nigerians criticising the artist for making a sweeping generalisation about the country’s players.
Dave, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents from Edo State, has previously collaborated with top Nigerian artists including Burna Boy, Wizkid, and most recently Tems.
Despite his Nigerian roots, fans say the rapper’s comment was insensitive, given the long-standing stereotype of age falsification in Nigerian football.
Age-cheating scandals have indeed been a recurring issue at various levels of the country’s football structure. In the past, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) even disbanded the U17 men’s team after several players were found guilty of falsifying their ages.
