Age cheats under scanner at U-17 World Cup

NEW DELHI: The Under-17 World Cup starting in India tomorrow should feature only players born this century but officials are taking no chances after defending champions Nigeria were caught in a major age-cheating scandal.

All players at the competition, which has helped launch the careers of Neymar, Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, will have their wrists scanned by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to check they were not born before Jan 1, 2000.

The measure was confirmed after Nigeria, who have won the tournament a record five times, bombed out of qualifying after they lost 26 squad members who were found to be over-age ahead of a key clash in August.

Age fraud is also rampant in other countries, according to football officials, prompting FIFA to bring MRI equipment to the 17th edition of the tournament, which is taking part in six Indian cities.

MRI scans can determine whether a player is below 17 with 99% accuracy, experts say, as they can show whether he or she has stopped growing – which usually happens after 17.

“While it is the responsibility of each member association to ensure that their players meet the age requirements, FIFA have decided to conduct MRI of the wrist at the Under- 17 competitions,” said a FIFA spokesperson.

Play gets under way tomorrow in New Delhi, where two- time champions Ghana play Colombia at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, while New Zealand take on Turkey in Mumbai.

With the absence of Nigeria and with three- time winners Brazil weakened, the tournament is regarded as open and unpredictable.

Brazil coach Carlos Amadeu said that it won’t be easy for the South American giants to break their 14-year-old trophy drought with “too many title contenders” in fray.

“All the European teams are very strong, including Spain and England, while Mexico, the United States and the South American sides will pose a threat,” Amadeu said.

“It’s always difficult to face an African side in this age group,” the 52-year-old added.

Brazil have been dealt a severe blow after star striker Vinicius Junior, who has drawn comparisons with Paris St Germain’s Neymar, was denied release by his club Flamengo.

India, hosting their biggest football event yet, will also be keen to mark their debut with a strong showing.

They are in Group A with the US, Columbia and Ghana.

But India’s manager Luis Norton de Matos, a former Portugal forward, did not mince his words when he said that India have just a 5% chance of winning a game.

The 23-day event culminates on Oct 28 with the final in Kolkata, the eastern city known as the hotbed of football in cricket-obsessed India. — AFP