Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has weighed in on Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, suggesting that a complete overhaul of the country’s football system is necessary.
Vanderpuye believes that the current state of Ghana’s football is a result of years of mismanagement and that immediate, drastic action is needed to reset the system. Ghana’s failure to qualify for the prestigious tournament has sparked calls for urgent reforms within the Ghana Football Association (GFA), but Vanderpuye remains skeptical of the effectiveness of quick fixes.
In an interview with PureSports, Vanderpuye stated that, had he still been in government, he would have taken the bold step of dissolving the GFA administration. While acknowledging that such a move would likely result in a six-month ban from FIFA, he argued that the hiatus could provide the opportunity to restructure the national team and football system.
“If I were the minister, I would have dissolved the current GFA,” Vanderpuye said. “I know FIFA would give us a six-month ban, but since Ghana is not going to the AFCON, we could use that period to restructure our national team and football.”
Vanderpuye emphasized that a good leader must be willing to make difficult decisions for the greater good of the nation, and he believes that his approach would have been firmer and more decisive in tackling the current crisis in Ghanaian football.
“A good leader must not be scared of taking difficult decisions that are in the interest of the people. I would be harsher and tougher than before on the GFA because things are worse today in our football,” he added.
Under the current GFA administration, Ghana has endured some of its worst AFCON performances, failing to progress past the group stage in 2021 and 2023 without securing a single victory. With the national team now out of the running for the 2025 AFCON, many Ghanaians are calling for sweeping reforms to revive the country’s footballing fortunes.
