Ex-Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye blasts Black Stars over ‘unprecedented’ Gambia defeat

Former Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye has questioned the quality of Ghana’s performance after the Black Stars suffered a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Ghana’s hopes of making a strong start to the qualifying campaign suffered another blow at the Accra Sports Stadium, where the Black Stars threw away a two-goal lead and ended the night empty-handed.

The hosts looked firmly in control after taking a 2-0 advantage, but their grip on the game quickly disappeared as the Gambia found a way back into the contest.

The visitors levelled the score before the break before completing the turnaround in the second half, exposing significant weaknesses in Ghana’s defensive organisation and game management.

For Vanderpuye, the performance was particularly concerning given his long-standing involvement in and observation of Ghanaian football.

“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,” Vanderpuye told Joy FM in an interview.

His criticism, however, extended beyond what happened on the pitch.

The former sports minister questioned the structure of football administration in Ghana, particularly the participation of club owners in the governance of the sport.

He argued that individuals with direct club interests may struggle to place the national interest ahead of their private or institutional interests.

“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,” he added.

The defeat represents Ghana’s second successive loss in Group C of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

The Black Stars had already suffered a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before returning home to face The Gambia.

Despite goals from Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan putting Ghana two goals ahead, the Gambia produced a dramatic response to claim all three points.

The result has intensified questions about the Black Stars’ performances and the wider direction of Ghanaian football as the team attempts to recover from its difficult start to the qualifying campaign.