Age-cheating allegations in African youth football have resurfaced after former Manchester United full-back Fabio da Silva claimed that several Ghanaian players at the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in South Korea were significantly older than the permitted maximum age of 17.
The claims emerged during a podcast shared on X by United & Everything Football (@UEF_Podcast) on April 9, 2026, in which Fabio was joined by his twin brother Rafael, former Manchester United teammates Patrice Evra and Park Ji-sung. The conversation began when Park asked how Brazil had fared at the tournament. Rafael confirmed the outcome plainly: “We lost to Ghana.”
Fabio then offered his recollection of the Ghanaian squad. “They said they were 17 years old, but I don’t think so — they are like 25 years old,” he said. He went further, adding: “I spoke with one of them. He already had 3 kids.” The remark prompted laughter from the group, with Evra responding in jest: “Fabio will never go to Ghana.”
No specific Ghanaian players were named by Fabio or any of the other participants, and the allegations remain unverified. No official investigation or ruling by FIFA in relation to Ghana’s participation in the 2007 tournament has been cited in connection with these claims.
Ghana’s Black Starlets performed strongly at the 2007 edition of the competition, advancing to the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to Germany in the third-place playoff. A notable result on their run was the elimination of Brazil in the quarter-finals — the match in which Rafael and Fabio were part of the Brazilian squad.
The 2007 Under-17 World Cup was notable for the quality of players it featured across multiple squads. Germany’s Toni Kroos, England’s Danny Welbeck, and Spain’s Bojan Krkić were among the prominent names who participated in the tournament, several of whom went on to distinguished senior careers.
Age fraud has been a persistent concern in African youth football, with FIFA having introduced mandatory MRI bone density testing for players whose age is disputed in youth competitions. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has also faced scrutiny over the years regarding the reliability of age documentation across member associations, though enforcement has varied widely.
Separately, Ghana are currently in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, the Black Stars will be without one of their key attacking players, Mohammed Kudus, for the remainder of the club season. The Tottenham Hotspur forward is set to undergo surgery on a hamstring injury sustained during a recent training session, ruling him out for approximately three months, according to reports.
