Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has launched a fierce attack on the Ghana Football Association, accusing it of operating as the 'Ghana Black Stars Association'. The former Sports Minister and MP for Odododiodioo warned that the body's singular focus on the senior national team is damaging the domestic game and its historic clubs.
Speaking on Akoma FM, Vanderpuye said the current system is actively harming clubs like Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak. "The current football association is the Ghana Black Stars Association and not the Ghana Football Association," he stated. He predicted a bleak future for the league if the imbalance is not corrected, arguing that the two most successful clubs in the country could be shut out of titles.
"The current football system is affecting clubs like Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak," Vanderpuye said. "If we fail to address these issues, there is no way these two clubs will win the league in the next five years."
Domestic game under threat
Vanderpuye pointed to issues like referee intimidation at smaller league venues as a key problem eroding the credibility of matches. He contrasted this with the more secure environments of major stadiums like the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi and the Accra Sports Stadium. The criticism comes at a time when the Black Stars themselves are struggling in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, adding fuel to the debate about where football resources should be directed.
There is growing pressure on GFA President Kurt Okraku to demonstrate that the association supports all levels of Ghanaian football, not only the flagship national side. Calls are mounting for greater investment in club infrastructure and youth development to create a sustainable football ecosystem. The performance in that qualifier will be scrutinised against the backdrop of this wider structural debate about the health of the sport in Ghana.
Read the full report at GBC Ghana Online
