Home-based players lack quality to play for Black Stars – Nii Lante Vanderpuye

Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has launched a scathing critique of the home-based players, claiming that no local player currently possesses the technical quality required to feature for the Black Stars.

Over the past year, only Benjamin Asare has been the constant local player in the squad.

Speaking to Citi Sports, Vanderpuye dismissed the standard of the Ghana Premier League, comparing the performance of homegrown talent to "colts" or juvenile-level football.

He argued that the gap between domestic competition and the international stage has widened to a point where local players lack the maturity for senior national duty.

Even Hearts of Oak’s Benjamin Asare, who was recently elevated to Ghana’s number-one goalkeeper by sacked Otto Addo, was not spared, with Vanderpuye noting that "even the best" still struggles with fundamental problems.

“No local player has the quality to play for the Black Stars of Ghana. They play like colts players. Even Benjamin Asare, whom we consider the best, has a lot of problems.”

This assessment comes as the Black Stars grapple with a historic decline. Following their shock failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON—a first in two decades—and a drop to 74th in the FIFA rankings, pressure has mounted on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to reform local development.