Ex-Hearts of Oak Midfielder Admits to Age Fraud to Secure Egyptian Club Contract
- Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joe Tagoe has admitted to falsifying his age during his football career
- Tagoe revealed that he reduced his age from 35 to 19 in 2017 to secure a spot with an Egyptian under-19 team
- The attacking midfielder attributed his decision to poverty and unfair system, which he believes compels players to falsify their ages
Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joe Tagoe has confessed to altering his age during his football career.
Tagoe, commonly known as Bobby Short, disclosed that he lowered his age from 35 to 19 in 2017 to secure a place with an Egyptian under-19 team.
Source: Twitter
The attacking midfielder cited poverty and an unjust system as reasons for his decision, believing these factors pressure players to alter their ages.
"I was home and received a call from Francis Martey about an offer for an under-19 player," he shared on ATV via GhanaWeb.
"Looking at my height, I said okay. At that time, I was about 34 or 35 years old. Poverty can make you do such things, and the system isn’t fair to us."
Training with the younger players took a heavy toll on him, with the physical demands almost jeopardising his health.
"I would have died if I hadn’t taken care of myself," he admitted. "I trained with both the senior team and U-20s, but the running with the U-20s always left me dizzy."
He also shared the lengths he went to in order to hide his real age, including dyeing his grey hair every morning. However, the intense physical strain eventually forced him to quit.
"My grey hair was already showing, so I always carried dye with me and dyed my hair every morning. But I decided to stop because it was taking a toll on my health," Tagoe explained.
Issaka on age cheating in juvenile football
Meanwhile, former Ghana star Awudu Issaka has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to intensify efforts to prevent age fraud among local players.
The ex-U17 World Cup winner emphasised that maintaining integrity in age-group football is crucial for the country’s long-term success.
"The GFA must work tirelessly to ensure players use their correct ages," Issaka told YEN.com.gh. "When players cheat by reducing their ages, it not only undermines the integrity of the game but also hinders Ghana’s ability to produce genuine quality for youth tournaments."
Issaka warned that age manipulation has broader implications for the development of football in Ghana.
"If we don't address this issue, it will become increasingly difficult to build strong, competitive teams at the youth level. Genuine talents deserve the opportunity to shine and grow without unfair competition."
Hearts fan weeps after Holy Stars defeat
In a previous publication, YEN.com.gh reported that a devoted Accra Hearts of Oak fan was left in tears following the team's loss in their opening match of the Ghana Premier League.
The emotional video captured the fan, a taxi driver, expressing his deep disappointment and sorrow over the defeat.
Social media users who viewed the video had varied reactions to the driver's heartfelt response.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
