Nigeria’s U-17 MNT head Coach, Manu Garba has confirmed that several players failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test conducted as a mandatory criteria for the 2024 WAFU B U-17 tournament.

Garba revealed that the initial pool of 54 invited players has been significantly reduced after the MRI tests, posing challenges in selecting the squad for the upcoming tournament.

Addressing the issue, the Coach clarified that players with genuine status, as verified through official documents and MRI tests conducted by the football body, remain in the camp.

However, he noted that some players had to leave after their MRI results revealed that they did not meet the required criteria.

“Let me clear the air on this matter. The genuine U-17 players, according to their official document made available to the NFF and the MRI tests conducted by the football body, are still in the camp preparing for the WAFU B U-17 tournament.

“When the camp opened last month, the very sincere football academies had to withdraw their players after the MRI tests they conducted showed that their players were on Grade 5. These players had to leave the camp immediately,” Manu Garba explained according to nff.com.

Additionally, the NFF conducted its own MRI tests, which exposed discrepancies in the results previously presented by some players.

Garba added: “Those (academies) who were not sincere and thought they could find a way through one way or another have been exposed after the NFF conducted its own MRI a few days ago and found the results earlier presented by their players before entering the camp did not tally with the requirements of the NFF.”

“The NFF insists on players whose results are between Grades 1 and 4. Players on Grade 5 have been asked to leave the camp.”