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Football

Former Ghanaian player reveals Ghana dominated youth football in the past by cheating

A former Ghana defender, Frimpong Manso said the reason for Ghana’s dominance over youth football in the early 90s was age-related cheating.

Update:
Men play soccer beneath Eskoms elecricity pylons, amid a nationwide coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in Soweto, south-west of Johannesburg, South Africa August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
SIPHIWE SIBEKOREUTERS

Former Ghana and Asante Kotoko defender Frimpong Manso revealed that Ghana's U-17 team managed to win many trophies during the 90s thanks in part to a policy of recruiting over-age players.

The black starlets won the U-17 FIFA World Cup twice in 1991 and 1995, in addition to reaching the final of the same competition in 1993 and 1997.

Manso told "Happy Fm" on the 25th anniversary of the 1995 achievement he was part of when Ghana won the title in Ecuador “In the olden days, we used over-age players for the U-17 competitions and we are now suffering in the long run. Back then there was no MRI to check the real age of players so we used over-age players”.

Manso also suggested that Ghana has failed to re-live these glory days recently as young players have suffered from inattention, adding that he hopes the Ghanaian U-15 would be well-prepared for the participation in such big competitions “I am happy right now with our U-15 side so let’s prepare them with a good progressing plan because our planning has always been wrong." Manso added.

Ghana won the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 1991, reached the final in 1993 where they lost to Nigeria, before recovering the title in 1995 after beating Brazil.