Players to Undergo MRI Tests for Eligibility in Boys’ Continental Qualifiers
Players to Undergo MRI Tests for Eligibility in Boys’ Continental Qualifiers
The upcoming TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | COSAFA Qualifier, set to take place in Johannesburg, will include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) assessments to confirm player eligibility.
These tests will be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Thulani Ngwenya, a renowned sports physician, CAF Medical Commission Member, and COSAFA Medical Officer. Dr. Ngwenya, a leading figure in African sports medicine, has taken an active role in this year’s process to ensure strict adherence to eligibility standards.
MRI testing is a FIFA-approved method used to confirm compliance with the age restrictions for U-17 tournaments. The focus is on players born on or after January 1, 2008. The protocol gained importance after the ineligibility of four teams—Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe—at the 2021 COSAFA Qualifiers, where one or more players failed the MRI assessment.
Dr. Ngwenya elaborates on the procedure, which involves imaging the non-dominant wrist (typically the left hand) to assess the growth plate’s development:
“The MRI takes nine ‘slices’ of the growth plate, which is graded on a scale from 1 to 6. A Grade 6 indicates complete fusion of the growth plate, making the player ineligible for the U-17 category. This method, introduced by CAF, ensures a fair and level playing field.”
He also emphasizes that a Grade 6 finding does not imply the player is over-age, but rather ineligible for the U-17 competition.
Questions have been raised about why such tests are conducted exclusively for boys’ tournaments and not for girls’ Under-17 events. Dr. Ngwenya explains:
“Girls’ bone development is naturally influenced by their menstrual cycle, which impacts bone density and growth patterns differently from boys.”
The TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | COSAFA Qualifier kicks off on December 4, with the final scheduled for December 13. The two finalists will secure their spots at the continental championship in Ivory Coast next year.
