Age test rocks Nigeria U-17 preparations ahead of 2023 AFCON

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Nigeria`s preparation for the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has been smooth until recent age tests which has led to the exclusion of four key players.

According to reports available to THE ATHLETIC.NG, the age test crisis followed a routine pre-tournament Magnetic Resonance Test on players conducted by the Nigeria Football Federation – NFF which led to the exclusion of four midfielders who have been with the team since the WAFU Cup title win.

Reports from the Golden Eaglets camp say the midfielders were ranked in Grade 5 during the tests as against the Federations grade 4 limit.

The Grade 5 is the maximum limit for participation at the U-17 Cup of Nations tournament but the NFF has a policy of presenting only players ranked below the grade 5 limit to avoid issues of players eventually testing above 5 and the effects of disqualification from the tournament.

This has rocked the preparations by the Coach Nduka Ugbade led Golden Eaglets who as reported by owngoalnigeria.com are protesting the decision, with appeals for the inclusion of the players to avoid weakening the team with few weeks to the tournament in Algeria.

The fifteenth edition of the U-17 AFCON is scheduled for 29 April to 19 May, in Algeria.

The Golden Eaglets qualified for the tournament after winning the U-17 WAFU B championship staged in Cote D’Ivoire in 2022. Nigeria defeated Burkina Faso 2-1 in the final to be crowned WAFU B Champions.

Nigeria is drawn in Group B against Morocco, South Africa and Zambia for the group stage of the 2023 U-17 AFCON. Nigeria is eyeing the title and a ticket to the U-17 World Cup tournament in Peru.