Nigeria will have to build a new team for this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup after a fresh MRI scan disqualified several of the top stars.
It has been uncovered that no less than six of the players who featured for the Eaglets at the 2013 African U17 Championship in Morocco in April have been ruled out of the World Cup in the UAE in October going by the latest round of MRI tests.
“It’s a big blow for coach Manu Garba and his team, but we hope he can use the three months before the World Cup to get worthy replacements,” a top official informed.
“A good number of the players are on the border line and a call has to be taken on whether to risk them or let them go.”
Some of the affected players have already been decamped by the team and proposed test matches against UAE and Turkey may now have to be cancelled as a result of the confusion in the team.
It is understood that world football governing body FIFA accept grade 1-5, which equates to about 17.21 years.
Of the 30 players tested officially, eight did not make the mark, while six of the 17 players who were self-sponsored were ruled out.
On the eve of the African Championship, three of the players were disqualified because their results fell on the border line.
Despite this major setback, the Eaglets reached the final of the competition only to lose on penalties to Cote d’Ivoire.
The Eaglets are currently training in Calabar ahead of the U17 World Cup, which will be played between October 17 and November 8.
The draw for the tournament will be staged in Abu Dhabi on August 26.
No comments:
Post a Comment