Queiroz says he would quit if it could fix Ghana football, after 4-2 home loss to The Gambia

Pinned summary · as of 04:53

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz says he would happily go if his exit could turn around the country's football, after the Black Stars went down 4-2 to The Gambia in Accra on Tuesday. The defeat, in which Ghana had been two goals up, followed a 2-0 loss in Bouaké to Côte d'Ivoire and leaves the team without a point in the qualifying series.

What we know

• The Gambia beat Ghana 4-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium, the Black Stars' second match in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, even though the hosts had been two goals clear early on.
• The Gambia game came after Ghana's opening qualifier ended in a 2-0 defeat away to Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké, so the Black Stars have lost both matches so far.
• Queiroz told reporters that he would resign if he believed a coach's departure could change the state of Ghana football, and that any decision on his future belongs to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) board.
• In his pre-match briefing, Queiroz tied his tenure to results: “Football has its own god, and the god of football is results,” he said. He added that the length of his stay depends on what he delivers and on whether the GFA is satisfied with him.
• Queiroz has also argued that Ghana's problems reach beyond the head coach, and has called for more investment in youth football, coach education, pitches and infrastructure.
• Queiroz is back in charge on a permanent basis after the 2026 World Cup, but the GFA did not disclose how long his contract runs. Ghana also missed the previous Africa Cup of Nations finals.
• The GFA announced on 2 September 2026 that Queiroz would continue as head coach, once his earlier spell, which took in the World Cup, had run its course. The association said the arrangement followed talks with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  SportsWorldGhana tallies a single victory, two draws and four losses from Queiroz's first seven matches, with 10 goals let in and five scored. MyJoyOnline earlier described his record as one win from six, and it also put the Black Stars' recent run at one win in 11 games. No other publication has verified the fuller tally.
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  Queiroz was quoted by SportsWorldGhana as saying that Ghana's last win came eight games before the Gambia match. That claim rests on a single report and sits awkwardly with the seven-game record above.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that some Ghanaians want the GFA to part ways with Queiroz. The report gave no figures or named critics, and the GFA has not responded in the reports available.
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  The Ghana Report attributed to Queiroz a claim that as many as 23 names on his main squad list have been ruled out by injury, along with a view that a winning side cannot be built by rotating many players at each call-up. No other publication has reported these remarks.
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  SportsWorldGhana reported Queiroz as saying that the team's difficulties in competitive qualifiers date back further than his appointment. It also reported his explanation that new players such as Augustine Boakye must be brought in carefully, so that they are not put under undue pressure before they are ready. No other publication carried these remarks.
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  The Press Radio, citing unnamed reports, said Queiroz asked for a bigger say over his backroom team, including foreign personnel, while negotiating his new deal, and that salary figures had circulated. Neither the GFA nor Queiroz is quoted on this in the reports available, and no other publication has carried it.
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  Before the game, Onua Online reported Queiroz as saying he was sure of victory over The Gambia. The result did not bear that out, and no other publication carried the remark.

Why it matters for Ghana

Supporters in Accra and across Ghana now face the prospect of another Africa Cup of Nations without the Black Stars after missing the last edition. The decision the coach has handed to the GFA board puts the association's own judgment under scrutiny as well as his. His call for spending on youth football, coaching and pitches also speaks to clubs and academies that feed the national team.