“They said they were 17… I think they were 25” — Fabio alleges age discrepancies in Ghana’s 2007 U-17 World Cup squad

Former Manchester United defender Fabio da Silva has alleged that Ghana fielded overage players during the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Fabio made the remarks during a podcast appearance alongside his twin brother Rafael da Silva, former teammates Patrice Evra and Ji-Sung Park.

The tournament, held in South Korea, was won by Nigeria national under-17 football team and featured emerging talents such as Toni Kroos, Bojan Krkic and Danny Welbeck. Ghana reached the semi-finals, defeating Brazil 1–0 in the quarter-finals, with both Fabio and Rafael part of the Brazilian squad.

During a discussion about Brazil’s exit, Rafael highlighted the challenge posed by Ghana’s team. Fabio, however, questioned the reported ages of their opponents.

“They said they were 17 years old, but I don’t think so,” Fabio said. “I think they were 25 years. I spoke with one of them; he already had three kids.”

Ghana, competing as the Black Starlets, went on to finish fourth after losing to Germany national under-17 football team in the third-place match.

There has been no official investigation or verified evidence to support the claims made by Fabio regarding the age of Ghana’s squad at the tournament.