Former Ghana Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye has criticised the state of Ghana football administration following the Black Stars’ disappointing defeat to The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The former lawmaker expressed concern over the involvement of individuals with direct club interests in managing football, arguing that such situations could create conflicts between personal ambitions and the broader interest of the national team.
“When people who directly own clubs are managing our football, we have a problem. There is no way the national interest will supersede personal interest,” Nii Lante Vanderpuye said in an interview with Joy FM.
His comments come after the Black Stars suffered a shocking 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, despite taking an early two-goal lead in the match.
According to the former Sports Minister, the performance was one of the poorest he has witnessed from Ghana’s senior national team in several decades.
“In all my years watching football in the 70s, 80s and 90s, I have never seen a Black Stars performance as poor as we saw against The Gambia,” he added.
The defeat has intensified criticism of the team’s leadership, technical direction and preparations, with calls growing for reforms to restore confidence in the Black Stars.
Ghana are now under pressure to recover quickly as they continue their campaign in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
