Former Ghana Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye has expressed his belief that the Black Stars will not improve under world-renowned coaches like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti unless the current system is changed.
He stated that the decision-makers at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have failed and should be held accountable for the team’s poor performance.
Vanderpuye pointed out that the GFA has fired five coaches in the past, including Chris Hughton, who was recently sacked following the team’s disappointing display at the AFCON 2023.
He questioned why the GFA continues to fire coaches without addressing the root causes of the team’s struggles.
“The GFA cannot sit there and tell me today they formed a committee to find us a new coach. They have already fired five, but they are still sitting there. They should’ve gone by now. 45 matches, they have won 16; they’ve lost 17 and drawn 12, isn’t it a failure? Is below average below average. They’ve lost more than they won,” he said on TV3’s Hot Issues.
Vanderpuye emphasized that bringing in high-profile coaches will not solve the problem unless the underlying issues within the football structure are addressed.
He believes that the current system is not favourable for the team’s success and that difficult decisions need to be taken to move forward.
“Even if we bring Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, and [Carlo] Ancelotti, and we don’t change the way our football has been structured, we don’t take difficult decisions to deal with people who are benefiting at the expense of our national football. They will fail just as Chris Hughton has failed,” he warned.
Under Kurt Okraku’s presidency, the Black Stars have had four different coaches, with Charles Akonnor being the only one to last more than a year.
Milovan Rajevac had the shortest tenure, being sacked after four months following Ghana’s failure to advance from the group stage at the AFCON 2021.
A search for a new coach is underway.