'Let others have a chance' – Nii Lantey Vanderpuye calls for fair World Cup fan selection
6th February 2026
Former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has called for fairness and transparency in the selection of Ghanaian supporters who will travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, urging authorities to avoid repeatedly choosing the same group of people.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Vanderpuye questioned the practice of sending fans who have already experienced previous World Cups, arguing that millions of Ghanaians have never had such an opportunity.
“If somebody has been to the World Cup before, why should we send the same person again?” he asked. “There are other Ghanaians, thousands and millions of other Ghanaians who have never had the opportunity.”
The former minister stressed that exposure and experience should not be limited to a select few, warning that repeated selection of the same individuals risks excluding others unfairly.
“If you don’t give the opportunities to other people, how will they get the experience we are talking about?” he said, adding that such an approach could amount to discrimination.
Vanderpuye proposed that any process used to select fans should be open and inclusive, suggesting a lottery system or similar transparent method to ensure equal chances for all interested supporters.
“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 said.
Ghana is preparing for its fifth appearance at the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. As anticipation builds, debates continue over how best to involve supporters in what is expected to be the biggest tournament in the competition’s history.