No fewer than 26 out of the 60 Golden Eaglets players failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan ahead of Saturday’s CAF U-17 AFCON qualifier against the junior Mena of Niger Republic in Abuja.
According to report, almost the starting XI players have been affected by the mandatory MRI scan test. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) employed the services of independent doctors to oversee the after; of which an Egyptian doctor supervised Nigeria’s screening exercise last week.
It becomes more worrisome the rate at which the players failed the test, which has questioned the selection process of coaches in charge of the team, having selected players outside the age limit for the cadet championship; like it happened in the previous years. Several of the players were in tears and total shock when the final results came through this morning. The affected players have since quit the team’s training camp in Abuja for their various bases.
Nigeria will be hugely depleted for Saturday’s U17 AFCON qualifier at home against Niger after a staggering 26 players out of 60 failed the mandatory MRI screening conducted last week. Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets’ are the current champions and have won the FIFA U17 World Cupa record five times – 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015 respectively.
credit: soccernet