The Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio constituency, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye believes that Black Stars head coach, Chris Hughton should be reassigned rather than sacked.
Ghana threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Mozambique and now has suffered another group stage exit.
The four-time African champions have been struggling since the appointment of coach Chris Hughton and his assistants following the departure of Otto Addo.
In an interview with Francis Abban on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Tuesday January 23, 2024, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye proposed a six to 10-year agenda for all national teams.
“What I’m advocating for is a whole agenda of about six to 10- years rebuilding of all our national teams. We should look at starting from the U-9, U12, U14, U16, U20, and that you require some of our young footballers.”
“We must have a technical directory, because Chris Hughton is not bad, it’s just that I think the players. I don’t think he does his scouting himself. Knowing Chris Hughton and from the little that I have seen him do with his teams, he transforms players. But with this particular situation I think Chris Hughton has found himself in a forest of the influences and the interferences of the Black Stars”. He said.
Mr. Vanderpuye indicated that Chris Hughton’s decision-making process is influenced by the government and the football association, denying him the autonomy to select players.
“I don’t think he has that autonomy in deciding which players can apply and if so, I want to know what went wrong. Is it the same Chris Hughton I have known all this while or it’s a different thing. Is it a curse that he has lost all those toughness, that frankness, principled man that he used to take when he was in the Premier League.”
He further emphasized that Chris Hughton is here to help Ghana football so he should be redeployed to reorganize Ghana’s technical secretariat and set targets for him.
“Sometimes when you get into an environment you look at the dance being danced and you end up dancing the same so possibly that is what has affected him; but then I think with his technical ability we can revamp our technical secretariat with him and set goals for him.”
“He’s a Ghanaian and has decided to relocate and help Ghana football, we should not dump him, we should re-deploy him. Let him analyze our game, our coaches, and advise us to see the way forward. He can recommend further courses and get attachments from some of these young boys to grow up and I think that will be good for him,” he added.
The Black Stars, under Chris Hughton, struggled to win games, especially with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to resume in March.
Ghana finished in third place in Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following Cape Verde and Egypt, after drawing two games.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Christian Kobby Quarshie
