Will Carlos Queiroz Resign as Ghana Head Coach After Poor Start to 2027 AFCON Qualifiers?
The controversial Portuguese coach is standing by his project, which aims to lead the Black Stars back to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carlos Queiroz reacted to Ghana’s difficult start to the 2027 AFCON Qualifiers. The Black Stars lost their opening two matches, first against Ivory Coast and then Gambia, a result that increased the pressure on the Portuguese coach.
WILL THE PORTUGUESE COACH STEP DOWN?
After Ghana’s painful 4-2 defeat to Gambia, Carlos Queiroz ruled out stepping down as the solution to the team’s current situation.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged that resigning would be “the easiest solution,” but made it clear that he does not believe his departure would change the direction of Ghanaian football.
“If they believe that by the resignation of the coach they can change the situation of football in Ghana, I will be the first to resign. I don’t have that belief,” Queiroz explained.
He also pointed out that the final decision rests with the leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The coach also defended his track record, saying: “This defeat does not make me a loser. This defeat makes me more alert to the lessons we need to learn.”
QUEIROZ APOLOGIZES FOR GHANA’S POOR RESULTS
Queiroz publicly took responsibility for the defeat to Gambia after Ghana squandered a 2-0 lead at the Accra Sports Stadium.
“We have to apologize to our fans and supporters for what happened in the stadium,” the coach said, acknowledging that conceding two goals before halftime changed the course of the match.
The Portuguese manager also asked for the criticism to be directed at him rather than his players.
“If there is one person who takes responsibility for the result, it is me,” he said, before urging supporters to continue backing their players.
CARLOS QUEIROZ EXPLAINS GHANA’S PROBLEMS
The national team coach also revealed the extent of the squad’s fitness problems. According to Queiroz, 24 senior players were unavailable, a situation he said has made it difficult to maintain a stable squad.
“We cannot, every time we call up the national team, change eight, nine or 10 players from the A team,” he explained.
Among the absentees he mentioned were Alexander Djiku, Antoine Semenyo, Mumin and Marvin, along with other players who were not fit enough to play the full 90 minutes.
Queiroz also warned that Ghana’s problems did not begin with the defeat to Gambia.
“We have eight matches since the last time Ghana won a game,” he said.
Even so, he insisted that injuries “are not an excuse” and reiterated his confidence in the squad:
“The Black Stars were never a problem. They are not a problem and they will never be a problem in the future, as long as we find the solutions to bring the team together.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM QUEIROZ’S RESPONSE
- HE DOES NOT PLAN TO RESIGN: Carlos Queiroz rejected the idea of stepping down and said his departure would not solve Ghana’s problems.
- HE APOLOGIZED TO THE FANS: The coach took responsibility for the 4-2 defeat to Gambia and apologized for the result.
- INJURIES ARE COMPLICATING HIS PROJECT: Queiroz revealed that 24 players were unavailable, although he stressed that the absences “are not an excuse.”
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