Nii Lante Vanderpuye: Ghana must prioritise long-term football development and forget 2027 AFCON and 2030 World Cup

Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has urged Ghana to prioritise long-term football development over immediate success at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.The Black Stars are facing an uphill task in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON after suffering consecutive defeats against Ivory Coast and The Gambia in their opening Group C matches.The results have left Ghana bottom of the group without a point, raising fresh concerns about their prospects of reaching the tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 edition in Morocco.However, Vanderpuye believes Ghana must look beyond the immediate challenges and focus on building a competitive team capable of delivering sustained success over the next eight years.Speaking in an interview with Akoma FM, the former minister called for a change in approach, arguing that the country's football development strategy should prioritise long-term planning rather than immediate results at major international competitions.We should forget about the 2030 World Cup and the 2027 AFCON and focus on building a strong team for the next eight years, he said.His comments come as the Black Stars seek to rebuild following their disappointing start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.Ghana's failure to reach the 2025 AFCON in Morocco has also intensified scrutiny of the national team's performances and the broader strategy for developing football in the country.Meanwhile, an interim technical team led by Kim Lars Bjrkegren has been appointed to oversee the Black Stars' upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Somalia in November.Bjrkegren will work alongside assistants Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram as Ghana look to revive their campaign and improve their chances of qualification.The interim appointment follows the departure of Carlos Queiroz after Ghana's poor start to the qualifying campaign.The Ghana Football Association is expected to appoint a permanent head coach in November, with the new leadership facing the task of restoring confidence in the team and putting Ghana's qualification hopes back on track.