Soccer News of Tuesday, 2 August 2005

Source: --

Starlets ?worried? over FIFA age tests

The management of the national under-17 team, the Black Starlets is mulling over FIFA?s new policy of checking age cheats at the upcoming world under 17 finals in Peru.

Football?s world governing body says it will use the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - to detect the use of over-aged players during the competition.

Experts say the MRI, which is an advanced form of X-ray, provides the age of a player with an error margin of plus or minus one year.

National under-17 coach, David Duncan says he now has to take a second look at the composition of his squad due to the FIFA directive.

?We thought our team was just in place and all of the sudden we were alerted about this MRI test and it?s like we really have to get our homework well done so we don?t get caught pants down when we get to Peru,? Duncan told Joy Sports.

?We?re still on the process of making sure that we?re clean, since this time around it?s not going to be by documentation but by scientific proof. We can?t be too sure, because we were only sure the documentary evidence that was produced by clubs with respect to their players.

?We don?t know what the gadget looks like and cant be sure the result it will turn up, because we don?t have the gadget here to take our boys through to ascertain what the real ages are.

?But I?m not worried because I do not think the boys will fail the tests but we just have to tread cautiously.

?It is not really a question of knowing the boys but the gadget be as reliable as they claim,? Duncan added.