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Soccer News of Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Source: ghanasocernet

Takyi Arhin blasts Polo over Ghana U20 age-cheating claims

Controversial football administrator Takyi Arhin has slammed Mohammed Polo for casting doubts over the ages of the Ghana squad that played at the recently concluded African Youth Championship.

The former Hearts of Oak great claimed most of the players were over-aged and lacked the quality to progress to the Black Stars.

Polo has come in for lots of flak for the shocking assessment of the Black Satellites squad whose path to the finals earned rave reviews.

In a rather interesting twist and one that will surprise many, the long-standing critic of the Kwesi Nyantakyi- led Ghanaian FA has descended heavily on the ‘dribbling magician’ describing his assessments as bogus.

“Polo is respected for what he did for our country and all that but I think his comments are simply below the belt,” Arhin told Accra-based Happy FM.

“The argument he’s making are too pedestrian and should not be taken seriously. What evidence does he have to prove that the players are above twenty years? In any case the argument that they all play in the Premier League and therefore are more than 20-years is mute.

“When I was at BA Stars, we had a young boy who was only 15-years but yet played top-flight football and so we cannot just assume that because someone plays in the Premier League, then automatically he will be more than 20-years.

“What does he want to achieve with some of these baseless allegations. Does he want CAF and FIFA to hear about it or what,” he queried.

“I don’t think it’s proper. Has he checked the teams that players of the countries play for?

“For instance does he know the team that Gomaa, who was named the Player of the tournament play for?

The Black Satellites will arrive in the country on Wednesday after grabbing silver.

They have been handed a tough group where they will play youth giants Spain, France and US at the 2013 FIFA World Youth Championship in Turkey.