Nii Lante Vanderpuye questions decision to appoint Queiroz as Ghana coach

Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has questioned the process that led to the appointment of Carlos Queiroz as coach of the Black Stars following Ghana's poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Ghana have lost their opening two Group C matches, leaving them without a point and under pressure to revive their qualification campaign.

The Black Stars began their campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast last Thursday before suffering another setback against The Gambia on Tuesday.

Ghana took a 2-0 lead at the Accra Sports Stadium but surrendered their advantage to lose 4-2, leaving Queiroz still searching for his first win after two competitive matches in charge.

Vanderpuye, who served as Sports Minister from 2017 to 2021, has questioned the transparency of the process that resulted in the appointment of the Portuguese coach.

"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 told Joy FM.

He also questioned whether Queiroz's profile was suited to the type of team Ghana were seeking to build.

"I said this: 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 [the 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," he added.

Queiroz replaced Otto Addo earlier this year and guided Ghana to qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

However, his side's difficult start to the AFCON qualifying campaign has increased scrutiny on the coach and the Ghana Football Association's decision to appoint him.

The Black Stars will have an opportunity to revive their campaign in October when they face Somalia in a double-header at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana are seeking a return to the continental tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, ending a run of more than two decades of consecutive appearances at the competition.