Guirane N'daw confesses age-cheating, claims 99% of Senegal footballers are guilty

N'Daw, who is registered as a 35-year-old, came out of retirement last year to join amateur French club AS Algrange to resume a career that began back in 2002.

Within nearly two decades of professional football, N'Daw won the 2007 Coupe de France with Sochaux, represented Saint-Étienne, Nantes and spent time in England and the Spanish top-flight.

Meschack Elia was found guilty of altering his age by one year with a fake passport.

Tobie Mimboe - aged cheated on several occasions before being dubbed Peter Pan.

Carlos Alberto - claimed he was five years younger and won the U20 World Cup with Brazil.

Seuntjie Motlhajwa - born in 1981 but claimed he was born in 1983.

Shiva N'Zigou - The 'youngest scorer' at AFCON admitted he was five-years older during his playing days.

Juan Espinoza - posed as nine years younger with different name and nationality.

Sibusiso Mzizi - used fake passport that meant he started school at the age of two.

Gourav Mukhi - claimed he was 16 but was in fact 28-years-old.

Ex-Free State stars defender Musa Magagula admitted he used his couins identity as Goodman Sauhatsi.

Collins Mbesuma alleged he is one year younger than his reported age.

However, in a shocking interview with IGFM, N'Daw openly admitted he was older than his registered age over the course of his professional football career.

"What is certain is that in Senegal, 99% of players have reduced their age," he explains.

"Senegalese [players] are generally very small and when he goes to Europe at 20, he will see that young people of 15 are stronger than him.

He added: "Like all Senegalese, I lowered my age to be professional. In Africa, the player who does not lower his age cannot be professional [in Europe], it's a reality."

The towering defender earned 41 caps for the Teranga Lions between 2005 and 2012 before announcing his retirement from the game at the age of '31'.