A top official has revealed to SCORENigeria how “a diligent and professional work” ensured the entire Golden Eaglets came through an MRI age test by CAF in Algeria.
All 26 players registered by Nigeria for this year’s U17 AFCON are eligible for the competition after they passed the age test in Algeria.
Nigeria would have been disqualified from the U17 AFCON had at least four of these registered players failed the age test.
“The benchmark for us here was Grade 4 even though CAF allow for Grade 5, that was the biggest secret to what happened in Algeria,” a top official told SCORENigeria
“Yes, there was pressure to include some players who were above Grade 4, but it was flatly refused.
“Had this happened, we would have been telling a very different story now because some of these boys moved from Grade 3 to Grade 5 within just two weeks.”
On Sunday, the Golden Eaglets will open their U17 AFCON campaign against Zambia in Constantine.
Kick-off time is 5pm.
