Attempts are gathering pace to stop young Nigerian footballers from wearing hair braids, dreadlocks and earrings.
Many of Nigeria's top footballers, including national captain Jay-Jay Okocha and star striker Nwankwo Kanu, have their hair braided. In the late 1990s, defender Taribo West had his braids dyed in the national colours.
But some football officials seem to have had enough.
One senior football official has ordered the removal of any unacceptable braids from players' hair at an upcoming junior tournament. He says their fashion statements are not culturally acceptable and promoted homosexuality.
Some sports administrators have gone as far as saying players should be banned from playing if they arrive on pitch with an unusual hairdo.
Last week a leading government official from the information ministry, Otunba Olusegun Runshewe, slammed the soccer trend-setters on national television: "Our youths are now taking after our great football stars... don't forget that in the developing world that the braiding of hair and earrings have a sense of homosexuality."
But not all Nigerian soccer fan agree. "I don't see it as if these guys are gay," insists one fan. "I see them portraying Africa culture in another perspective." - Ananova.com