Former sports minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye
Former sports minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has said that he is not impressed with the performances of the Black Stars against Chad and Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
He stated that even though the team won the two matches with huge scorelines, the kind of performance they displayed needs to improve going forward.
The former Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio constituency noted that the quality of play and the confidence of the players ought to be better for the team to compete for laurels.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV, he urged the Black Stars‘ technical team and the players to avoid complacency and work harder to instill fear in their opponents with their performance.
“The two matches we have played so far don’t give me any indication that there has been an improvement in the team. Even though we won those matches comfortably, I’m looking at the quality of play. Sometimes, some coaches will say the result is what matters, especially in qualifying series like this.
“But at the end of it all, you should also know that it’s not just about qualifying, but it’s about developing, improving your performance, your play, so that when you have qualified, people will have confidence in the team. I want us to build a team that will show resilience, improvement and a team that strikes fear in any nation at all,” he said.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Black Stars defeated Chad 5-0 on March 21, 2025, at the Accra Sports Stadium and secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Madagascar on March 25, 2025.
After six matches played, Ghana lead Group I with 15 points, followed by Comoros with 12 points, while Madagascar lie in third position with 10 points.
Watch Vanderpuye’s remarks below:
“I think the two matches we have played so far do not give me any indication to the fact that there has been any improvement in the team so far” – Nii Lante Vanderpuye.
Former Sports Minister weighed in on Ghana’s 🇬🇭wins against Chad & Madagascar in the 2026 FWCQ.#CitiSports pic.twitter.com/z74VBa3O3z
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) April 3, 2025
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians applaud Black Stars for excellent performances against Chad, Madagascar
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