Carlos Queiroz has been dismissed as head coach of the Ghana national team with immediate effect following a difficult start to the Black Stars’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The Portuguese coach’s departure comes after Ghana suffered back-to-back defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving the four-time African champions without a point from their opening two Group C matches.
Ghana began their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24 before suffering an even more damaging 4-2 loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium five days later.
The defeat to The Gambia proved particularly painful for the Black Stars after they surrendered a two-goal lead.
Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Felix Afena-Gyan doubled Ghana’s advantage with a spectacular free-kick. However, The Gambia mounted a dramatic comeback before half-time and eventually completed the turnaround to hand Ghana their second consecutive defeat.
The poor start has placed Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON under serious pressure and ultimately brought Queiroz’s tenure to an abrupt end.
Queiroz had initially guided Ghana to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Black Stars defeated Panama 1-0, drew 0-0 with England and lost 2-1 to Croatia in the group stage before their campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32.
Although Ghana advanced from the group, the team struggled to produce an attacking threat in the knockout stage. CAF highlighted the Black Stars’ difficulties in creating clear-cut chances against Colombia, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal in the 14th minute.
Those concerns carried into the opening AFCON qualifiers, where Ghana failed to build on their World Cup progress.
Following the defeat to The Gambia, Queiroz rejected calls for his resignation, insisting that his future was ultimately in the hands of the Ghana Football Association and would be determined by the team’s results.
His reported dismissal now leaves the GFA with the task of finding a new coach capable of stabilising the Black Stars and reviving their qualification campaign.
Ghana currently have no points from their first two Group C matches and face a difficult road ahead if they are to secure a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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