Carlos Queiroz was frustrated by Ghana’s football infrastructure and the absence of a dedicated training base for the Black Stars, according to Ghana Football Association communications director Henry Asante Twum.
The Portuguese coach left his role as Ghana head coach after the team made a difficult start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed on 1 October that it had mutually agreed to part ways with the 73-year-old, following defeats in the Black Stars’ opening two Group C matches.
But the GFA says Queiroz’s concerns went beyond results.
Asante Twum said the coach was particularly surprised that Ghana’s national team did not have a permanent training base and often had to prepare for matches at the same venue where they played.
“Carlos Queiroz was surprised to find out that the Black Stars do not have a camp base where the team trains,” Asante Twum told Kessben FM.
“He complained that he had never seen before that a national team does not have a camp base.”
According to Asante Twum, Queiroz believed the arrangement was affecting the quality of the team’s preparations.
“He was disappointed to find out that where the team plays is the same place the team trains,” he said. “He believes that it affects the team and does not help in getting a proper pitch.”
The GFA communications director also pointed to Ghana’s shortage of suitable venues, saying the country currently has only one approved stadium available for the national team.
“He gave a scientific basis for his reasons,” Asante Twum said, explaining that the lack of infrastructure was one of the factors behind Queiroz’s departure.
Queiroz’s exit comes at a particularly challenging moment for the Black Stars.
Ghana lost their opening qualifier 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Bouake before suffering an even more dramatic defeat against The Gambia.
The Black Stars appeared to be in control after taking a two-goal lead at the Accra Sports Stadium, but The Gambia fought back to win 4-2.
Those results leave Ghana bottom of Group C without a point and under significant pressure to revive their qualification hopes.
The Black Stars are already trying to recover from the disappointment of missing out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The GFA has appointed a five-member committee to oversee the search for Queiroz’s successor.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the Sports Ministry on 9 October.
Whoever takes charge will face an immediate test, with Ghana due to play a double-header against Somalia in October as the qualifying campaign continues.
Both matches are scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium, the same venue at the centre of Queiroz’s concerns about Ghana’s preparations.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
For Ghana, the immediate priority is to prevent another disappointing qualifying campaign. But the debate surrounding Queiroz’s departure has also exposed a longer-running issue: whether the country has the facilities needed to properly prepare one of Africa’s most recognised national teams.
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