Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has sparked debate over Ghana’s selection policy, insisting Chelsea defender Joshua Kofi Acheampong is better than all current Black Stars defenders.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Vanderpuye criticised the growing opposition to including dual nationals who did not feature in Ghana’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the final squad for the tournament.
He argued that such exclusionary attitudes have cost the nation top talents in the past.
“We are making a mistake,” he said. “We had the same opportunity when we had Gerald Asamoah, and he went and played for Germany.
“We had the same opportunity with Daniel Welbeck… England fielded him against us and we lost him. Today, there is this boy playing for Chelsea, [Josh] Acheampong. To me, he is better than all our defenders. Bring him, he is a Ghanaian.”
The former Odododiodio MP believes Ghana must embrace dual nationals to strengthen the national team, warning against repeating past mistakes.
Acheampong, 19, was born in England to Ghanaian parents and recently scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
The highly rated defender has emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest young prospects.
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