Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has advised aspiring Ghanaian coaches to build their credentials at club level before being considered for the Black Stars job, insisting the current crop is not yet ready to handle the national team.
His comments come amid intense speculation over the vacant coaching position following the departure of Otto Addo, with calls growing for a local coach to take charge.
While aligning partly with Osei Kofi’s stance, Vanderpuye made it clear he prefers an experienced African coach rather than a European appointment.
“I agree with Rev. Osei Kofi to an extent, but inasmuch as I say we don’t need European coaches, I think we need an African coach,” he stated.
Despite Ghana’s history of success with local managers, Vanderpuye believes the current generation still needs time to mature and gain the necessary experience.
“We won trophies in the past with Ghanaian coaches, but they were good coaches. Otto Addo, Ibrahim Tanko, CK Akonnor, Godwin Attram, Laryea Kingston and others are all coming up. They have not gotten to where we can entrust the Black Stars into their hands,” he explained.
He urged them to focus on development at club level before aiming for the national team job.
“They should go and start at the club level to build their résumés and capacity,” he advised.
With just 70 days to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Ghana Football Association is expected to appoint a new head coach soon. Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama, with their campaign set to begin on June 17 in Toronto.
