20 August 2009
Lagos — The Pepsi Under-17 International tournament, which started in Abeokuta on Monday, could provide a fishing pond stage for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the handlers of the Golden Eaglets to catch genuine under-17players to use to replace the ones that had been decamped as a result of their failing the bone test.
Mr. Iain Nelson, consultant to Pepsi Football Academy, in responding to a question on the solution to the MRI scan controversy with 16 of the Golden Eaglets players alleged
decamped for being overage, said the Pepsi tournament has four teams from Nigeria: Pepsi Football Academy 1 & 2, Lagos State Under-17 and Gateway Under-17, who can provide ready made materials for the Golden Eaglets, considering the length of time available.
"Our Pepsi Academy players are real under-17 players because they started with us when they were four, five years of age. It is impossible for somebody to be four and say I am one or two," said Nelson. Besides, the Scot who is an authority on Nigerian football, having been around here for over two decades, said the under-17 teams from Lagos and Ogun States could also be good resource grounds for the Golden Eaglets handlers. "We are not saying they should pick our players as a knee-jerk reaction but at least come around and watch these lads play. And if any of them impresses, they should give them the chance," said Nelson.
The Gambia National U-17 World Cup team lead the legion of foreign youth teams participating in the Pepsi tournament which ends tomorrow. Others are the Liberty Professionals, Ghana, F.C. Johansen; Sierra-Leone and Dimension Football Academy; Republic of Benin.
Two venues, MKO Abiola Stadium and Abeokuta Grammar School, are hosting the matches
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