Revealed: Why Nii Lantey Vanderpuye Was Scared To Meet Black Stars Players

At the last Afcon 2017 qualifier played in Accra between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Amavubi of Rwanda, Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports (MoYS), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, was conspicuously missing from the list of dignitaries who exchanged pleasantries with both teams before kick-off.

 

The minister apparently arrived late for the match, in a move to avoid interacting personally with the players. What many fans/spectators/viewers, etc., are missing is the fact that there was a hidden motive and an underlying reason for his demeanour.

 

Sportscrusader’s deep throat source at the ministry has disclosed that the Youth and Sports minister failed to exchange pleasantries with the teams for fear of being humiliated[ignored] by the Black Stars.

The source revealed further that, the minister had ‘picked up’ information that the team will reject his handshake after having boycotted the traditional MoYS visit to the team during their week-long training session and subjecting the players to public ridicule prior to the Afcon 2017 final qualifier in Accra.

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has been in the news lately, largely for reasons concerning player call-ups to the Black Stars as well as their winning bonuses. He is on record as having suggested that, since the players funded their own airfares to come and play for Ghana, they could as well, extend their magnanimity to paying themselves, their winning bonuses too.

Nothing overtly suggestive of a revolt against or dislike for the MoYS has been recorded from the players, nonetheless, if it is true that they had indeed, as a body, planned such a ‘mutiny’ against Nii Lantey, it would have been an unfortunate day for Ghana football.

There has been an uneasy calm and an ever-widening gap between the Ghana Football Association [GFA] and the MoYS, since Nii Lantey was appointed as sector minister which has led to several subtle yet unpleasant verbal exchanges between the main figures at the two institutions.

And this has seen coach Avram Grant, recently concede his fear of a likely repetition of the infamous ‘Brazil 2014 fiasco’ that marred a promising third consecutive World Cup appearance for Ghana.

Revealed: Why Nii Lantey Vanderpuye Was Scared To Meet Black Stars Players