Kotoko Legend Charles Taylor Admits to Age Cheating: “I Was 20 When I Played for U17”

• Former Asante Kotoko star Charles Taylor has made a shocking revelation about the 'rot' in Ghana's football system
• According to the 43-year-old, he reduced his age by three years to meet the criteria for selection at Under-17 during his playing days
• He has called on the Ghana Football Association to put the right measures in place to address the issue of age fraud

Charles Kwaku Asampong Taylor, one of Ghana’s most iconic footballers, has opened up about a long-standing issue that continues to cast a shadow over the nation’s football development: age cheating.

His candid revelation follows Ghana's quarter-final elimination from the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), reigniting public discourse around the integrity of age-based competitions.

Charles Taylor admits to age fraud

According to the former Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko talisman, the problem is deeply entrenched and dates back decades.

"If you pick players with original U15 years to play, they cannot even kick a ball. Although we have such teams, I doubt their ages.

Taylor didn’t shy away from pointing fingers, including at himself.

He admitted to having personally altered his age to meet the eligibility criteria for the national under-17 team, Black Starlets, during his playing days.

"I also played for the national U17 team, but I was older than that age. Those who played on the team were five or more years older.

"I was 20 years old while playing for the team, and nothing stopped me from playing," he told Angel TV.

Taylor calls for reforms amid age-cheating canker

Despite the introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology to verify players' biological age, Taylor insists that manipulation continues under the radar.

He attributes this to both a flawed system and cultural realities that hinder genuine age-level competition.

From a football development perspective, Taylor’s assertion points to a structural gap in talent nurturing.

When players overqualified by age dominate youth-level tournaments, the real gems — like Spain’s Lamine Yamal, who emerged as a prodigy at 16 — often get overshadowed, stunting long-term national growth.

"If we want to produce talents like Lamine Yamal, we should be honest with the ages of players."

Sports journalist Stephen Zando of Luv FM expressed his concerns in an interview with YEN.com.gh:

“Let’s be honest—this issue is deeply rooted in the very fabric of Ghanaian football. The sooner we address it head-on, the better it will be for everyone involved.”

Ex-Ghana star admits to reducing his age from 35 to 17

Interestingly, Taylor isn't the only figure from Ghana’s football circles to make such a confession.

Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joe Tagoe also admitted to falsifying his age, citing financial hardship and systemic failure as the main reasons for his decision, as noted by Ghanasoccernet.

Tagoe’s revelation was just as shocking, if not more than Taylor's. In 2017, he claimed to have slashed his age from 35 to 19 to join an Egyptian U-19 side, a move he says was driven by desperation.

Charles Taylor flaunts his stylish home decor

In a different feature, YEN.com.gh highlighted Charles Taylor’s stunning display of elegance as he showcased his stylish home while dressed in regal African attire.

The Ghana Premier League icon, famed for his flair on the field, brings that same touch of class to his home’s décor.

Taylor frequently offers fans a peek into his personal life through fun and engaging videos on TikTok.

Source: YEN.com.gh