By: Gracious Akujobi The Vice Chairman of Cross River State FA, Oswald Atuake has absolved the technical crew of the National Under-17 team and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of any blame over results of the recent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan conducted for players ahead of the 2013 World Cup in the UAE.
Atuake said the results of the MRI could be likened to a force majeure because nobody can stem the physiology of the players since they had the propensity for further growth when they were selected to play at this level.
“Frankly, only those who are ignorant of the details of the MRI would start blaming the NFF or the technical crew for that matter,” Atuake said after watching the Golden Eaglets training session at the St. Patrick’s College at Ikot Ansa in Calabar on Wednesday.
“What the NFF has done is in the best interest of the country because it would have been a huge embarrassment if they had not conducted fresh MRI on the players who played in Morocco believing they are still suitable.
“We cannot condemn the NFF or the technical crew of the team because some of these players are no longer eligible as a result of the MRI; the truth is that growth is normal since these boys were still in their formative years when they were picked almost two years ago,” he emphasised.
Furthermore, Atuake has slammed spurious claim that some players were picked by the technical crew based on extraneous factors rather than competence and quality, adding that the present crop of officials attached to the Golden Eaglets are above board.
“With all my years in football, I can say that there are few coaches that are as transparent as the present ones that are with the National Under-17 team ,” offered the no-nonsense Atuake.“I’m saying this with all sense of responsibility because we should not distract them by reckless remarks.
“I have personally followed all their activities since they have been here in Calabar and anybody who is close to the team would attest to the fact that the officials are honourable and responsible. I have no doubt in my mind that they are on the right course as they prepare for the World Cup,” he asserted.
