Ntow Gyan, a former Asante Kotoko player, recently spoke out against the prevalent issue of age cheating in football during an interview on Peace FM with Dan Kwaku Yeboah.
Gyan revealed his personal struggles with age falsification and its detrimental effects on his life.
Gyan confessed to reducing his actual age by 10 to 15 years to conform to the demands of football age requirements. Despite being 50 years old, he officially presents himself as such, despite his eldest son being 47, a clear indication of the deception rampant in the sport.
“Now, because of the issue of football age, I prefer not to mention my age so people won’t know the real me, because I have reduced my actual age by 10 to 15 years. The age I am currently using is 50, but my son, who is my firstborn, is 47 years old.
“Just look at that; it is impossible for me to have done it. That is what I have used officially, so it is impossible to change it…” he said.
This deception has led to uncomfortable situations, with his son questioning how he could have fathered him at the age of 3, as indicated by Gyan’s official age. Such instances highlight the absurdity and consequences of age cheating in football.
The widespread prevalence of age cheating has plagued African football, resulting in numerous teams and players facing sanctions from football governing bodies on both continental and global scales.
Watch the video below:
