Nii Lante Vanderpuye Defends Otto Addo’s Tenure as Ghana Black Stars Edge Closer to World Cup Qualification
Accra, Ghana – Former Youth and Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has rallied support behind Otto Addo, head coach of the Black Stars, urging Ghanaians to exercise patience and back the coach as Ghana inches closer to a second consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance under his leadership.
His comments follow Ghana’s emphatic 5-0 victory over the Central African Republic in the World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Speaking to the media a day after the match, Mr. Vanderpuye emphasized the importance of stability and continuity, especially at such a critical stage of the qualification campaign.
Vanderpuye praised Otto Addo’s performance in the ongoing qualifiers, noting that the coach is on the cusp of becoming the first person in Ghana’s football history local or foreign to guide the national team to back-to-back World Cup tournaments.
Addo, who led the Black Stars to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has overseen a strong qualification run so far for the 2026 edition, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“He has managed the team well under pressure. Instead of calling for his dismissal, Ghanaians should give him their full support,” Vanderpuye said.
Acknowledging that Otto Addo is still developing as a top-tier coach, Vanderpuye suggested that the solution lies not in sacking him but in supplementing his technical team.
“He is quite inexperienced for the team he is handling. I won’t deny that. But this is not the time to replace him. What we need is someone with deeper experience to support him as a technical advisor,” he explained.
According to Vanderpuye, bringing in an experienced hand to guide Addo behind the scenes would be more beneficial than triggering a change that could unsettle the team’s current momentum.
Vanderpuye cautioned that replacing Otto Addo at this point could have negative consequences for Ghana’s World Cup ambitions.
“If we change him and things go south, who do we blame? There’s enough time before the World Cup for him to grow, build confidence, and get the team fully ready,” he noted.
His stance reflects a broader debate within Ghanaian football circles, where some critics have questioned Addo’s tactical consistency and game management, while others argue that frequent coaching changes have disrupted the team’s long-term development.
Ghana has seen a revolving door of national team coaches in recent years. Since Kwesi Appiah’s departure in 2019, the Black Stars have had multiple coaching changes, including CK Akonnor, Milovan Rajevac, Chris Hughton, and now Otto Addo.
This lack of continuity has been cited by some analysts as a key reason behind the team’s underwhelming performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and other major tournaments.
Looking ahead to Ghana’s final group game against Comoros on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium, Vanderpuye urged the Black Stars to go all out despite already securing qualification.
“We owe Comoros a response. They beat us at AFCON 2021 and again in these qualifiers. It’s time we show them who Ghana is,” he stated.
Comoros defeated Ghana 3-2 at the 2021 AFCON in a shock result that contributed to Ghana’s early exit. The island nation also beat Ghana 1-0 earlier in the current qualification campaign under then-coach Chris Hughton.
While Vanderpuye supports using the match to test fringe players, he also stressed the need for player welfare and injury prevention, noting that many Black Stars players are returning to busy club schedules in Europe and elsewhere.
“If I were the coach, I’d protect the key players. They’ve earned their places at their clubs, and it’s important not to risk injury at this stage,” he said.
Ghana’s progress in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers is a critical moment for national football, with the potential to restore pride after recent disappointments on the continental stage.
With Africa set to have a record 9.5 slots at the next World Cup thanks to FIFA’s expansion of the tournament countries like Ghana are in a strong position to qualify. However, technical stability and strategic planning will be crucial.
The debate around Otto Addo’s future also mirrors wider challenges in African football, where limited investment in local coaching development and high expectations often create a volatile environment for national team managers.
As Ghana prepares for the final rounds of qualification and potentially another World Cup appearance, stakeholders in football must balance constructive criticism with support for the current technical team. The pressure of national expectations must be met with sound planning, team unity, and measured decision-making.
Whether Otto Addo remains in charge through to 2026 may ultimately depend on results. But as of now, Ghana’s path to qualification appears steady, and disrupting that momentum could prove counterproductive.
