Nyaho-Tamakloe blames age cheating for Black Stars' World Cup struggles

Former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has attributed the Black Stars' disappointing campaign at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup to age cheating, arguing that the practice has undermined the team's competitiveness on the global stage.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh on July 6, 2026, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said the issue of players misrepresenting their ages had negatively affected the national team and called for greater honesty within Ghana football.

"Age has affected most of our players. We must stop the football age thing and be sincere with ourselves because it is affecting us," he said.

He stressed that transparency about players' ages was crucial to rebuilding the national team, insisting that ageing players should make way for younger talents capable of sustaining Ghana's long-term football ambitions.

Beyond addressing age-related concerns, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe urged football authorities to prioritise grassroots development through strategic planning and consistent investment in young players.

"If we want to achieve anything in football, we must plan and organise from the grassroots. We must identify and develop more local talent," he said.

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Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe also advocated adopting Morocco's football development model, describing it as a blueprint for success after the North African nation emerged as one of the world's rising football powers through long-term investment in youth development.

"We must adopt the Moroccan strategy," he said, noting that many of the teams excelling at the World Cup have youthful squads nurtured through deliberate planning over several years.

Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe further lamented what he described as the disappearance of Ghana's traditional football identity, urging the Black Stars' technical team to restore the aggressive and attacking style that once made the team a dominant force on the continent.

"Our style of football has disappeared, and it must be brought back. We must be aggressive," he added.

His comments come in the wake of Ghana's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32, ending the Black Stars' campaign after a challenging tournament.

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