Black Starlets coach Abdul Karim Zito has expressed disappointment over the disqualification of two members of the team ahead of the qualifiers for the Africa Juvenile Championship.

The Black Starlets will take Niger and Togo in the group phase of the newly adopted qualifying format for the 2019 U17 Africa Cup finals to be staged by Tanzania.

However, the team will be heading into the tournament without influential duo Adams Saad and Emmanuel Bio who have been disqualified on the basis of failing the final MRI test.

“It was very heartbreaking to learn that these two players will not be in my team for the tournament,” Zito affectionately called ‘The Professor’ told FootballmadeinGhana.com.

“They were very key to my plans and have been playing so so well.

“It is very unfortunate and I feel for the boys but then what can we do?”

Zito must now find replacements before embarking on the trip to Niger with a 25-man squad on Monday.

He will make a final cut to the required 21 before the competition begins on September 2