Lulu Lauds CAF’s Initiative On MRI

A former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA),  Alhaji Sani Lulu, has commended the African Football Confederation (CAF) for its doggedness in managing African football.

Lulu’s commendation came on the heels of CAF’s determination to eliminate overage players at the U-17 level with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the ongoing African Championship in Morocco.

Three players each from Nigeria, Cote d‘Ivoire and Congo failed the MRI tests conducted by CAF on April 12.

The test was a mandatory requirement before the kick-off of the African U-17 Championship.

Lulu told newsmen that the development would help to prepare African teams for the FIFA U-17 World Championship in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in October.

“If all countries participating in this tournament are conscious of what it takes to get the right players to participate, that means you do not have to doubt the result of the MRI.

“So, the essence of MRI is to adopt the medical system of identifying these overage children.

“I remember when we were at the NFA, FIFA said they were going to do scanning, CAF too said they were going to do scanning at various tournaments.

“But because I was possibly in doubt, I had to establish the process of ensuring that my boys did the MRI,’’ he said.

The erstwhile NFA chairman noted that the test was expensive, but they accepted to do it to save the country from the embarrassment of being disqualified.

“We did the MRI here in Nigeria and we were still not satisfied.