Zambia have been disqualified from the 2016 COSAFA Under-17 Championships being staged in Mauritius having been found to have fielded two over-age players for the tournament.
Consequently Malawi finish top of Group B and East African guest nation Kenya claim the runners-up spot.
Friday’s semi-final line-up therefore sees South Africa take on Kenya (13h00 local, 09h00 GMT) and Malawi play Namibia (16h00 local; 12h00 GMT) for a place in Sunday’s final.
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 (I) of the tournament regulations are not eligible to compete in the competition.
Zambia had willingly submitted both players for re-testing in Mauritius after complaints from two countries.
The pair had been tested, along with the rest of the squad, in Zambia prior to their arrival at the tournament, as is mandatory for all players competing at the CAF Under-17 Qualifiers and U17 Youth Championships Final Tournament, but information sourced later from Confederation of African Football (CAF) indicated that these tests were incorrectly done.
The re-tests carried out in Mauritius revealed the players were not eligible to compete.
MRI scans have become standard in assessing the age of players in this age-group with a 99 percent accuracy.
Every bone in the arm and leg has an end plate from which bones grow. When the growth is completed (usually around the age of 17), then this end plate disappears on the MRI scans.
If it can be seen on the MRI scans, then it is proof that the player is 17 or younger.
Disappointing. Is this what Kananga and company are to deliver to Zambia as success? Whoever carried out the tests in Zambia has put Zambia in this situation. baGhana and Chicken Soup will surely laugh at this development.
We want a full report on why this is so. Who is responsible for this? This is not good for Zambia s image.
We deserved it, and its a sad development.
Punish the kids because they know their actual age ninshi tabalandile abati ifwe tuli ba fyashi uko twa fuma.
@ Kasama. What if their parents are the culprits? This issue has got nothing to do with the two players. FAZ owe the nation an explanation.
To be honest I’m actually surprised only two players failed the test.
For the sake of fairness, we need an independent third test. The tests in Zambia showed that they were of age and now this test shows a different result. But whatever the case, these are basic leadership failures on our part. It’s like the new FAZ executive is more concerned about traversing the globe versus taking care of business at home. This is very shameful
Lets retest the Under-20 using a well respected international facility because we will become the first host to be disqualified for age cheating next year at this rate.
Ba Zamfoot no news on Asec vs zesco draw shuwa!
Ba ZAMFOOT just let us know if you are tired of reporting. You have been sleeping too much the past weeks!
Very embarrassing indeed, this not what we are as Zambians, we are honest people and we take pride in that. This should never have happened and this players knows when they were born so they need to be suspended from Zambian club football as well. There has to be consequences for being dishonest. Everyone involved needs to pay the price not just the coaches.
TC I think this is how we are and we have been exposed
I am surprised that they no insults directed at Kamanga. I am pretty sure people have now matured from the Kalu era or are prophesies about Kamanga beginning to bear fruit.
TEST OR NO TEST. THESE FATHERS ARE KNOWN.WHY DO WE PRAY FOR A MACHINE TO SAY YES, WHEN WE HAVE BEEN SEEING SOME OF THESE PLAYERS FOR YEARS.
JUST BECAUSE THE MACHINE SAYS YES THEN YOU ARE UNDER 17, EVEN IF THE PARENTS ARE SAYING UYU NI YA MU 1980.
SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!!!!!!
Kamanga must go!
First we failed to qualify to the Afcon secondly we failed to perform at cosafa thirdly we have been disqualify for age cheating, kamanga. Were are you taking our football is it forward or backward?the selection of players is useless too
Why fire the technical bench. A thorough investigation has to be carried out. The technical bench didn’t run the tests, did they? Sounds like FAZ trying to find a scapegoat. Still embarrassing on the whole though.