The Golden Eaglets, who are due to fly out to Germany Wednesday for a training tour on their way to the 2023 U17 AFCON in Algeria, have suffered a huge body blow after a recent MRI age test dropped the bulk of the team’s midfield that won the sub-regional WAFU qualifiers last year in Ghana.
A top team official told SCORENigeria: “Coach Nduka Ugbade is running pillar to post to get capable replacements for the midfielders who failed the age test.
“It has not been easy, but the coach is calling up his past experience to sort out this latest challenge.”
Ugbade, for one, has maintained a large pool of at least 60 players, some coming from outside the official hotel, in the event of mass failure in the age test.
SCORENigeria first reported that that at least three key players from the U17 AFCON qualifiers in Ghana failed the age test when players were first asked to conduct age test privately.
The 2023 U17 AFCON will be played in Algeria between April 29 and May 19.
The Eaglets are drawn in Group B alongside Morocco, South Africa and Zambia.