On the occasion of the next edition of the U17 AFCON which will be held at the end of April in Algeria, the Confederation of African Football has unveiled its new protocol of verification of the age of players of participating teams as well as the sanctions that will be taken against fraudsters. Sanctions that will range from the disqualification of the players concerned to that of an entire team depending on the case.
After the numerous controversies during the qualification tournaments, notably the one in the UNIFFAC zone with the exclusions of Cameroon and Chad, or the dismissal of 25 players from the DRC selection, the Confederation of African Football has unveiled its new rules for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) tests, which will fight against age fraud during youth tournaments. This is to avoid disputes and new cases of suspicion during the CAN U17, which will take place in Algeria from April 29 to May 19.
"The Executive Committee of CAF has approved the recommendations made by the Organizing Committee of youth soccer of CAF and the Medical Committee of CAF to amend Article 27 of the regulations of the African Cup of Nations U17 "said the pan-African body in a statement detailing the new protocol put in place as part of the realization of MRI tests for all teams, before and during the competition.
As for the tests during the competition, CAF says that all participating teams must arrive at least five days before the start of the competition. The costs related to MRI tests during the CAN U17 will be covered by the body. "Participating teams may be subjected to MRI tests, which must be conducted no earlier than five (5) days before the start of the competition," the statement said. "CAF reserves the right to conduct an MRI test at any time before or during the competition."
