“Black Stars Urged to Build ‘Fear Factor’ as World Cup Quest Intensifies”
Despite back-to-back wins in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ghana’s former Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, believes the Black Stars still have a long way to go in re-establishing their dominance on the international stage.
Ghana recently recorded emphatic victories—a 5-0 thrashing of Chad followed by a confident 3-0 win over Madagascar. While these results have propelled the Black Stars to the top of Group I with 15 points, Vanderpuye remains skeptical about the team’s overall growth.
“I want to see a Ghana national team that will strike fear or put every other team on alert that they are playing Ghana—whether it’s Argentina or Brazil,” he said passionately.
According to him, the performances, despite the large margins, lack the spark and consistency needed to restore Ghana’s status as a global football powerhouse. He believes the team must develop a true “fear factor”—an identity that instills respect and caution in any opponent they face.
His remarks serve as a call to action for the team to not just win games but do so with an aura of dominance and tactical maturity, especially as the road to the 2026 World Cup grows more competitive.