FIFA stops MRI tests

Stories from Dipo Ogunsola, Enugu - 01.11.2009

Iran,s Morteza pouraliganji in action
against Netherland,s zakaria Labyad
during Group C final match in Enugu
yesterday.Iran won 1-0. Photo: FIFACONTRARY to wide spread reports, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) eventually soft pedalled on the much talked about Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI test) meant to determine the true age of players participating in U-17 World Cup competition.

The World’s soccer governing body had in the bid to forestall the wide spread cheating in its age group competiton introduced the test which is aimed at revealing the true age of players.

With claims by some countries to have conducted the MRI tests before the start of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup holding in Nigeria, FIFA, through its Secretary General, Jerome Valcke had shortly before the commencement of the competition in Abuja, said that no team would be allowed to participate at Nigeria 2009 except it had undergone the MIR test under the supervision of its experts.

However, the World’s football governing body, according to findings by Sunday Tribunesports appears to have shunned the test as some of the teams have claimed ignorance of any test at the on-going Nigeria 2009.

Willlfed Rainer, the chief coach of Burkina Faso’s U-17 side said his team has no knowledge of the MRI test, telling sportwriters at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu that the said test has not been carried out on his team.

“To the best of my knowledge, none of my players has been tested by the MRI mechanism but I don’t think it is necessary.

“For me I don’t want to be a coach of over-aged teams, that is one of the conditions I laid down before getting the appointment, so I took my players out to France for the tests. Unfortunately, some of the players I relied upon failed the test while those you are seeing here scaled the hurdles but I am happy.’’