18 Eaglets Fail MRS Tests

Reports from the camp of Nigeria’s U-17 squad say no fewer than 18 members of the Golden Eaglets have failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, test, conducted to verify their true ages.

P.M.Sports gathered that the affected players were screened out during the Grade 1 test ordered by FIFA for all the countries that will participate in CAF/FIFA age grade football competitions.

A stunned Nigeria Football association, NFF, which carried out the test, has ordered that the over-age players be booted out, while new ones within the age brackets are brought in.

The Media Officer of NFF, Demola Olajire, who confirmed the story to us on Friday, said: “The NFF conducted MRI tests for the players presented to us by the coaches as U-17. The players failed our MRI test, and they are out of the Golden Eaglets team. So, we are looking for new players now, but Nigerians should note that we are not the parents of these players.”

Meanwhile, reactions have been trailing the latest scandal from the Eaglets’ camp. Former coach of the Flying Eagles, Tunde Disu, has advised Eaglets’ Chief Coach, Manu Garba and his assistants to go back to schools or various academies in the country to select new players ahead of their Africa U-17 qualifying series, which kicks off against Niger Republic in Niamey in September.

“I don’t see this incident as a disgrace; rather it’s a wakeup call. Nigeria still has time to amend the situation. Let the coaches go to the academies and schools to scout for players who are within the age limit. I think the MRI test introduced by FIFA will force Nigeria and other African countries to go back to the grassroots to pick true U-17 players,” he said.

Former CAF/FIFA Instructor, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, said: “It is unfortunate that Nigerian football found itself in this unfortunate situation. He noted that until Nigeria goes back to school sports and embrace developmental programme, it would be hard to present a true U-17 team.

“I am not surprised that 18 members of the Eaglets failed the MRI test because we have always been planning to fail”.