January 05, (THEWILL) – Cameroon’s Under-17 team is facing a crisis as it struggles to field a team for regional African Cup of Nations qualifiers due to a number of players failing age tests ordered by Samuel Eto’o, President of the country’s governing body, Fecafoot.
Eto’o insisted on the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screenings, which saw 21 out of an initial 30-member squad fail the tests. Now, a further 11 players have also failed the tests, leaving coach Jean Pierre Fiala, with a shortage of players.
Cameroon is set to host Congo, Chad, DR Congo, and Central African Republic for the Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC) qualifiers between 12 and 24 January, with two teams set to progress to the Under-17 Nations Cup in Algeria in April.
In the past, allegations of the use of over-age players have clouded Africa’s international successes in junior tournaments. In 2009, FIFA introduced the use of MRI scans at the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria. The MRI scans the wrist to assess the development of the bone structure.
In 2017, Fecafoot prevented 14 players from competing in the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon due to failing these tests. Eto’o promised to address the issue of age cheating when he was elected in December 2021 and it is a promise he is now implementing.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
