Nii Lante Vanderpuye calls for fairness and transparency in selecting Ghanaian fans to 2026 World Cup

Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has urged the government to adopt a fair and transparent system in selecting Ghanaian fans to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, will be making their fifth appearance at the global showpiece, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With plans underway for the government to sponsor supporters to cheer the team on, Vanderpuye cautioned against repeatedly selecting the same group of fans, arguing that such an approach would amount to discrimination and deny many Ghanaians a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I wouldn’t want to go by that because when you do that, then you are setting discrimination into it. I think people should be given the opportunity to go, and if it is going to be a lottery or any other thing, we should do it so that it will be fair and transparent for everyone," he told Citi Sports.

The former Member of Parliament questioned why the same individuals are often chosen to represent the country at major international tournaments, despite the fact that many supporters have never had the chance to attend one.

“If somebody has been to the World Cup before, why should we send the same person again… there are other Ghanaians, thousands and millions of other Ghanaians who have never had the opportunity… so let’s create an opportunity where it will not be the same group of people always going."

Vanderpuye further noted that while some fans may have the time and resources to travel repeatedly, many others would equally value the experience if given the chance.

“If you don’t give the opportunities to other people, how will they get the experience we are talking about… so just give the opportunities to others.”

The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L and will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before taking on England in Boston. They will wrap up their group-stage fixtures against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.

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