Reason Behind the Trending Video of Nii Lante's Warning to GFA on Social Media

A video of former Ghanaian Sports Minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, expressing his frustration with the current state of football in Ghana has gone viral, sparking widespread debate across social media. In the video, Vanderpuye openly criticizes the management of football in the country and outlines his plans for reform if he were to return to office.

During an interview on Pure FM, Vanderpuye, who previously represented the Odododiodio Constituency as a Member of Parliament, did not hold back in his assessment of the Ghana Football Association (GFA). He boldly declared that he would dissolve the GFA if given the opportunity to return as Sports Minister, suggesting that such a step, though likely to result in a six-month suspension from FIFA, would allow the country to rebuild its football system.

“I will dissolve the GFA,” Vanderpuye stated unequivocally. “And so what? Have we qualified for the World Cup? Have we qualified for AFCON? No. This is the time to dissolve it. They will suspend us for six months, so we will use that period to prepare and build a team for the next qualification.”

Vanderpuye’s statement comes amid Ghana’s continuing struggles in international football, particularly the failure of the national team, the Black Stars, to qualify for recent major tournaments. Despite Ghana’s historical reputation as one of Africa’s footballing giants, the country has fallen short in recent years. Vanderpuye sees the current management of the sport as a major factor contributing to these failures, and he believes that drastic action is necessary to revive the sport and restore the Black Stars to their former glory.

In addition to calling for the dissolution of the GFA, Vanderpuye criticized the association for repeatedly firing coaches after disappointing results while allowing the same administrators to remain in power. He argued that the system’s underlying structure must be addressed, asserting that no coach, no matter how skilled, will succeed under the current setup.

“Ask yourself why we allow the GFA to sack coaches after every failure,” he said. “What is happening in Ghana football is such that even if you appoint Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, or anyone else, without changing the structure, they will fail.”

Vanderpuye also took aim at what he described as the “people’s players” in the Black Stars — athletes who, according to him, are selected based on lobbying rather than merit. He suggested that players often prioritize personal gain over the good of the national team, citing the practice of selecting players for commercial reasons, such as boosting their market value for transfers. This, he argued, was one of the primary reasons why Ghana’s football fortunes have declined.

“The Black Stars is full of ‘people’s players.’ These players are not there for Ghana; they are there because someone lobbied for them to be called up,” Vanderpuye remarked. “Their priority is not the national team but their managers and personal gain. People do this to increase their players’ market value for sales, and the nation suffers for it.”

The former Sports Minister also addressed the issue of corruption within Ghana’s local football league. He recounted an instance in which a referee, who he had spoken with, revealed that they had been instructed to show a yellow card to a player from the Asante Kotoko football club due to a betting arrangement. Vanderpuye expressed his outrage over this and similar incidents, highlighting the need for change in the way the football system is run in the country.

“I spoke to some referees, and one told me he was instructed to show a Kotoko player a yellow card because someone had placed a bet on it. This is how our football is being run today. Do you think if I were the minister, I would sit and watch this happen?” he questioned.

Vanderpuye’s tenure as Sports Minister from 2015 to 2017 was marked by bold actions and a sometimes contentious relationship with the then-president of the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi. His strict approach to managing the sector, which often resulted in clashes with key stakeholders, is a hallmark of his time in office. His new remarks about the GFA and Ghana’s football management have reignited discussions about how best to reform the country’s football system.

His candid criticism and call for the dissolution of the GFA have struck a chord with many Ghanaians, who share his concerns about the state of the sport. While Vanderpuye’s stance may be seen as extreme by some, it reflects the growing frustration of citizens who believe that the current football administration is failing to restore Ghana’s once-proud footballing legacy. Whether or not his proposed solutions are practical remains to be seen, but Vanderpuye’s viral video has certainly brought attention to the pressing need for change in Ghana’s football.