The Nigeria Football Federation is in disarray over the disturbing news that 27 Golden Eaglets players failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging test, out of 60 examined by CAF.
Following the development, the Eaglets may likely play Saturday’s Under-17 AFCON qualifier against Niger with a depleted team
According to a CAF official, majority of those who failed the MRI test, were initially listed as first team players in the Eaglets’ team.
“It is a disaster. Virtually the first team the coaches have been working on have been disqualified. It’s a serious problem.”
Top NFF officials have now gone into panic mode with blames being traded over “this mass failure”.
Many of the players were in tears and devastated when the final results came out.
The affected players have since quit the team’s training camp in Abuja for their various bases.
Among those who failed the age test was a star striker, who came through the national Under-15 team and has been outstanding in training ahead of Saturday’s AFCON qualifier.
Another promising player disqualified, only recently forced his way into the starting XI of coach Manu Garba’s team after a late call-up.
The Confederation of African Football has moved swiftly to ensure a much more transparent management of the MRI test by deploying independent doctors to the various member-associations.
In the case of Nigeria, an Egyptian doctor supervised the screening exercise last week.
Nigeria have won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup a record five times – 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
