Nigeria has dropped 15 players from its under-17 national team pool after MRI scans revealed the players overage. Nigeria hosts the U-17 World Cup Oct. 24-Nov. 15. Nigeria coach John Obuh disclosed that the affected players have left the team camp, leaving him with 23 other players who fall within the allowed age.

Nigeria federation president Sani Lulu insisted that the country will still field a formidable team for the World Cup in October, which the country will host. "We have about 38 players in camp, some of them failed [the age test]," Lulu said. "[That] does not mean that we do not have a team that will represent us at the World Cup or that we have a crisis. We still have a good team."

Nigeria has won the U-17 world championship three times, in 1985, 1993 and 2007. For this year's competition, the team is drawn against Germany, Argentina and Honduras in the first round. The USA is grouped with Spain, UAE and Malawi.

 

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