Carlos Queiroz should not be Black Stars coach – Ex-Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye

Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has raised concerns over the appointment of Carlos Queiroz as head coach of the Ghana national football team, nicknamed the Black Stars. This comes after Ghana experienced a poor start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, losing both their initial Group C matches against Ivory Coast and The Gambia.

Queiroz, who previously led Ghana to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, has yet to secure a victory in the AFCON qualifiers. The Black Stars lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast and then 4-2 to The Gambia, with the former match ending at the Accra Sports Stadium. Vanderpuye, who served as Sports Minister from 2015 to 2017, expressed doubts about the transparency of the appointment process.

"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?" he questioned on Joy FM. He also speculated that Queiroz's age and coaching profile might not align well with the type of team Ghana desired. Despite leading Ghana to the 2026 World Cup, Queiroz now faces increased pressure following the Black Stars' successive defeats, leaving them without a point from their first two Group C matches.

Ghana now must regroup for their next qualifying match against Somalia in October, aiming to return to the AFCON after not qualifying for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.