Carlos Queiroz Leaves Black Stars Job After Ivory Coast And Gambia Defeats

Carlos Queiroz and the Ghana Football Association have mutually agreed to end his spell as Black Stars head coach, the GFA announced on October 1, 2026, days after a collapse against the Gambia left Ghana bottom of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group without a point. The Portuguese coach's time in charge produced one win in seven matches across two spells since he first took the job in June, a run that spanned a World Cup group-stage escape, a last-32 exit, and back-to-back qualifying defeats that triggered his exit.

Two Spells, One Record Queiroz took charge for an initial spell in June 2026 to prepare Ghana for the World Cup, then stepped away after the tournament before the GFA brought him back on September 2, 2026 for the opening AFCON qualifiers. Across both spells he managed seven matches, winning once, drawing twice and losing four times, with Ghana scoring five goals and conceding ten. In a statement announcing the split, Queiroz said, "Despite our commitment and efforts, the necessary conditions were not fully established," adding, "Ghana comes first. The Black Stars come first. Ghanaian football comes first."

What Triggered The Exit The immediate trigger was Ghana's qualifying form: a 2-0 defeat away to Ivory Coast on September 24 followed five days later by a 4-2 home loss to the Gambia, a match Ghana led 2-0 before conceding four unanswered goals. Those results left the Black Stars bottom of their group without a point after two matches. The GFA described the parting as mutual, saying discussions were "held in a spirit of mutual respect," while Queiroz pointed to the unavailability of several key players across the qualifiers as a contributing factor alongside the results themselves.

What's Next The GFA has not named an interim or permanent successor. A friendly against Morocco that had been scheduled later in the international window was called off following Queiroz's departure. Ghana remains without a point in AFCON 2027 qualifying with two matches played.