2026 World Cup: Age cheating reason behind Black Stars' early elimination - Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe
Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has attributed the Black Stars' disappointing campaign at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup to the long-standing problem of age cheating in Ghanaian football.
The veteran football administrator made the remarks after Ghana's World Cup journey ended with a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32, where Jhon Arias scored the decisive goal to eliminate the Black Stars.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe argued that several members of the national team were no longer physically equipped to cope with the demands of modern international football, insisting that the culture of relying on so-called "football age" had taken a toll on the team's competitiveness.
"Age has affected most of our players. We must stop the football age thing and be sincere with ourselves because it is affecting us," the Hearts of Oak board member said.
He stressed the need for greater honesty regarding players' ages, arguing that older players should step aside when the time comes to create opportunities for younger talents to emerge.
"Age must be taken seriously in our football. When a player has reached the appropriate age, he must make way for younger ones to take over," he stated.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe also expressed concern about the broader state of Ghana football, saying the country's player development system has failed to produce enough talent capable of consistently competing at the highest level.
Although the Black Stars reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2010, their campaign ended in the Round of 32. The four-time African champions will now shift their focus to preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.