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Zambia disqualified from junior regional soccer tournament over age-cheating

Xinhua, July 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambia has been disqualified from the on-going Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) Under-17 Championships for fielding two over-age players, organizers said on Friday.

The country's Under-17 national soccer team has been booted out of the tournament after fresh Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests carried out on two of its players found them to be over-age, according to a statement posted on the organizers' website.

Zambia had willingly submitted strikers Nicholas Mulilo and Benjamin Phiri for re-testing at the on-going tournament in Mauritius after complaints from two countries.

"Zambia's disqualification follows fresh Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests carried out on forward Nicholas Mulilo and Benjamin Phiri in Mauritius, which found the players were over the age of 17 and therefore according to clause 10.5 (1) of the tournament regulations are not eligible to compete in the competition," the statement said.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) had subjected all the players to a mandatory MRI tests before they departed for the tournament.

But the statement claimed that information sourced from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) indicated that the tests were incorrectly done.

Malawi, who were run-up in Group B have since taken the top spot and will play in the semi-finals against Namibia while Kenya has claimed the runners-up spot.

The junior Chipolopolo clobbered Kenya 3-0 and then hammered Malawi and Madagascar 3-0 apiece to proceed to the semi-finals of the tournament.

The disqualification is a blow to coach Oswald Mutapa who was using the tournament to prepare his players for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Under-17 Championship second round qualifier against Sudan. Endit