LAHORE, Sept 16: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) will conduct MRI tests of four Under-16 players despite being asked by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to check 13 players to determine their ages.

Asian Football Federation (AFC) has instructed PFF to conduct MRI tests of the 13 players from the 30 it selected from which they will pick the final team for the Under-16 Asian event to be held this year.

However, PFF will test only four players – Asif Mohammad, Abdul Jalil, Mohammad Wasif and Hafiz Noman. PFF argues that having played Asian Under-13 and Under-14 football festivals, the remaining nine are as old as they claim.

“With reference to your letter regarding the MRI examination and information on age eligibility, it is clearly mentioned that only those players who have not participated previously in any U-13 or U-14 football festivals are subject to MRI. In the recent fax dated Sept 14, 2007, 13 players are listed to undergo the test out of which nine have participated in U-13 and U-14 football festivals in 2004, 2005 and 2007,” PFF secretary Ahmad Yar Lodhi wrote to AFC secretary-general.