By Victor Kanayo
Chad have been disqualified from participating in the ongoing regional Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers taking place in Cameroon.
The Central African country were sent packing after their player failed age testing process using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
This is after Cameroon, which is hosting the matches, had to remove 32 players from their squad after the country’s federation (Fecafoot) President Samuel Eto’o demanded the MRI scans.
Organising committee, the Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC), has also confirmed to BBC Sport Africa that Chad’s elimination is because their single failure was part of an in-tournament test, as opposed to pre-tournament.
The disqualification comes just two days after DR Congo pulled out of the five-team qualifying event, which also includes Congo-Brazzaville and Central African Republic, after 25 of 40 players were also found to be overage.
The withdrawal of Chad leaves only Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville and Central African Republic left to play the qualifiers, which run until January 24.
Congo-Brazzaville were awarded a walkover after their game with Chad was called off, while Cameroon beat Central African Republic 4-0 in their first game.
Two teams are due to progress to the final in Algeria in April.
Football’s world governing body, Fifa, introduced MRI scans at the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, which took place in Nigeria.
The test works is by scanning the wrist to study how advanced the bone structure is.
Chad were due to play Congo-Brazzaville in the opening game of the UNIFFAC event which will decide regional qualification for April’s 12-team Under-17 Cup of Nations in Algeria.
Scheduled to run 12-24 January, two teams were due to progress but only three teams now remain to complete the fixtures.
Meanwhile, the African soccer ruling body Confederation of African Football (CAF) will apply the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to all under-age as well as inter-club competitions taking place in 2023.
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles are among the teams that will take part in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Algeria and Egypt respectively.
Nigeria’s U23 team also known as Olympic Eagles are in the final round of the qualifier and will face Junior Syli Stars of Guinea while Rivers United, another club representing the West African nation will participate in the group stage of the confederation cup.
The football body on announced that VAR will be present in the venues of the under-age tournaments while it will be introduced to the inter-club competition from the quarter-finals.
