Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye questioned the choice of Carlos Queiroz as head coach of Ghana’s Black Stars before the appointment was finalised. Vanderpuye said he doubted the Portuguese coach was the right fit for the team, given the players available after Otto Addo’s departure.
Queiroz took over the Black Stars and has managed just one win in seven matches across all competitions. The team lost their first two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, falling to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouake and then Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium. These results leave Ghana with zero points from two games, sitting at the bottom of their group.
Speaking on Joy FM, Vanderpuye criticised the process that led to Queiroz’s appointment. He said, “I don’t trust the procedures, the process by which this coach, (Carlos Queiroz), was appointed. When did the Black Stars inform you and me that they were going to look for a coach? They told us they had over 99 applications; all of a sudden, a coach was appointed.”
He added that the age and profile of Queiroz did not match what Ghana needed. “I said this that, the sort of Black Stars we are looking at, the age of this coach (Carlos Queiroz), I have studied his profile; he is not the sort of coach (Black Stars needed) unless those who sat in the meeting to consider that application did not know the kind of Black Stars they are looking for.”
Ghana’s loss to Gambia on home soil deepened concerns over the team’s chances in the qualifiers after the earlier defeat in Côte d’Ivoire. The Black Stars have not earned any points in the group, a position that puts added pressure on the coaching staff and the Ghana Football Association as the competition continues.
Queiroz’s record with Ghana is under close watch after a strong start to his career with other national teams. But so far, his tenure has failed to deliver the results expected by fans and officials alike.
Vanderpuye’s public questioning of the coach’s appointment reflects wider frustration within Ghana’s football community about the direction of the national team. Whether officials will respond to these concerns remains to be seen as the Black Stars prepare for their next qualifiers.
According to Joy Online.
