Francis J. U. Imumolen
As the Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI test is about to hold today, Media officer of the Nation’s Male Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, Francis Achi, has expressed confidence that all the players named for the tournament holding in Algeria would not fall short of the required grade 1-5 of the MRI assessment.
The team Media Officer, a Seasoned Sports Journalist, Achi in a telephone chat with yours sincerely was reacting to a reminder of one of the rules of the MRI test that says; the team would be disqualified should four players fail the MRI assessment.
Achi, while saying the team coaching crew had done its due diligence to ensure the players meet the tournament’s standards of allowed age limit for such champions in accordance with the Nigeria Football Federation’s strict supervisions and instructions, noted that the present team boasts of the youngest assemblage in the nation’s history with even three Senior Secondary School, SSS 1 students in its ranks.
According to the Media Officer, the Golden Eaglets are likely to leave Algiers after the MRI test for Constantine ahead their first match against Zambia.
Achi added that the team would continue its preparations for the tournament tomorrow after the MRI test and assured that the coaching crew led by Nduka Ugbade would do everything possible to win the Africa Under-17 tournament that has eluded the Golden Eaglets despite the team’s global feats, for the first time in Algeria.
With the team’s solid preparations in Abuja in the past months following their 2-1 conquest in the final against Burkina Faso at the regional tourney last year in Cape Coast, Ghana, nothing short of emerging the champions at the end of the continental showpiece in Algeria is expected from the 5-time world champions.
Golden Eaglets only arrived the city of Algiers, Algeria yesterday after canceling a training tour of Germany and had their first and only training yesterday evening.
The 2023 Africa Under-17 tournament is billed to hold in Algeria from April 29 to May 19.