Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to stop employing expatriates as head coach of the senior national team, Black Stars.
“We have great Ghanaian footballers who can handle the team. I am for a Ghanaian or African coach. Take it or leave. I don’t mean to be racist,” he told Accra-based Class FM.
“We should stop maligning Ghanaians coaches to work and they will do better… allow them the same time, space and patience to work like the foreign coaches. You think Ghana doesn’t have knowledgeable coaches. If Avram Grant, God forbids, should die before the tournament, won’t there be another coach…?” he quizzed.
“Do you know how much we have spent on Black Stars without any achievement over the years? We don’t need to go to IMF if we saved that money. Apart from what the government infuses into the Black Stars, do you know how much money they [GFA] have received from FIFA on behalf of Ghana? You will be amazed to know how much money that the Black Stars have received over the years…,” he said.
He further maintained that, if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the 2016 December elections, the former coach of the team, Avram Grant would have been sacked as the head coach because he as the sports minister wouldn’t have extended his contract to Gabon for the AFCON tournament.
“I don’t hide my sentiments. If NDC had won the elections and I have continued as a minister, Avram Grant would not have gone to Gabon. I’m telling you. His contract ended before Gabon. I would not have issued an extension of his contract…”
“Which coach will think about money instead of results…?” he quizzed.