In response to recent concerns surrounding the MRI scans of Sierra Leone’s Under-17 football team, Ecomed Medical Diagnostic Center has issued a statement addressing the implications of the failed tests conducted in Senegal.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had initially disqualified the team based on the results of these scans, but following further review, CAF has since reversed its decision, reinstating Sierra Leone’s team into the WAFU tournament.

Ecomed emphasized that the revision of CAF’s earlier ruling reaffirms their position that the MRI scans conducted in Senegal may have been inaccurate.

The diagnostic center expressed confidence in the reliability of their MRI technology and the thorough processes employed to assess the skeletal age of young athletes.

“We at Ecomed use advanced MRI imaging technology, and all scans are carefully interpreted by an international team of radiologists. We stand by the accuracy and integrity of the results we provided for over 40 candidates,” the statement read.

Ecomed’s tests had initially cleared the Sierra Leonean players to participate in the tournament, raising questions about the accuracy of the Senegal-based scans that had led to their exclusion.

In addition to the Sierra Leonean players, Ecomed also conducted MRI tests on more than 50 candidates from Liberia’s Under-17 team, all of whom passed CAF’s scrutiny, further attesting to the center’s credibility and the reliability of their procedures.

As a gesture of j and in a bid to resolve any lingering doubts, Ecomed has invited the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLAFA) to release the scans taken in Senegal. The diagnostic center is ready to submit both sets of scans to an independent panel of international radiologists for comparison and review.

Ecomed’s response comes at a time when the accuracy of MRI testing in age determination for youth football remains a critical issue in Africa’s football landscape.

By addressing the controversy directly and offering a pathway to further scrutiny, Ecomed seeks to reaffirm its role as a trusted medical diagnostics provider.