South Sudan's junior national team players take MRI test. (Photo: SSFA).

South Sudan’s U17 football team has successfully passed the Magnetic Resonant Imaging (MRI) tests required to confirm age eligibility for the upcoming CECAFA qualifiers in Uganda, after the team was previously disqualified from CAF tournament over similar issue.

In April 2023, the U17 national team was disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations’ tournament in Algeria after five players failed the mandatory (MRI) test, the national football federation confirmed.

At least 20 players of the squad have been given the green light to showcase their skills on the field after passing the test required by Council of East & Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA).

They were approved following the thorough verification process, overseen by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) doctor to guarantee fairness and accuracy.

According to SSFA, this step is important to ensure compliance with regulations as the team eyes qualification for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Bright Stars’ Junior Head Coach Nasir Yusuf said the team is committed to upholding integrity in youth football.

“After we were assigned by the General Federation, we selected the national team members from Juba on November 25th by determining the ages and positions of the players from the teams in Juba and the football academies,” he said.

“We tested 120 players and then chose 40 players. We have reduced the number of players to 20 according to the CECAFA law. SSFA will bring the team from CECAFA to examine the ages of the players and verify them our 20 players passed the verification and we are ready now for the game.”

South Sudan U17 has been put in Group B of the AFCON’S CECAFA Zonal qualifiers with Sudan, Somalia and Kenya, according to the dray held on 29th November.

When the junior national team was kicked out of the 2023 AFCON tournament, the national football governing body SSFA said it regretted the situation and filed a complaint which was promptly rejected.

SSFA had argued that two of the five players that were disqualified previously participated in the zonal qualifiers after passing the MRI scan in Ethiopia in September 2022.

MRI is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body.