Nii Lante Vanderpuye is a former Minister of Youth and Sports
Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has urged Ghanaians to rally behind Black Stars coach Otto Addo, describing his performance in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifiers as commendable.
Addo, 49, has led Ghana to the brink of qualification after a resounding victory over the Central African Republic in the Matchday 9 fixture played on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
The Black Stars now need just a point from their final game against Comoros on Sunday October 12, 2025 to seal a spot at the tournament.
While acknowledging concerns about the team’s inconsistency, Vanderpuye cautioned against calls for Addo’s dismissal.
Instead, he suggested that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) focus on reinforcing the technical setup by adding experienced professionals to support the head coach.
“With the team he has, he is quite inexperienced and immature for them. I will not hide that. We need someone with vast experience to come in as a technical advisor to guide us as we go into the World Cup,” he said.
“But changing him is not something I will recommend at this time; it will be too expensive and also risky,” he added.
If qualification is secured, Otto Addo will make history as the first coach, local or foreign, to lead Ghana to two FIFA World Cups, having previously guided the team to the 2022 edition in Qatar.
The Black Stars are set to conclude their qualifying campaign against Comoros at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
