Carlos Queiroz has left his position as head coach of Ghana’s Black Stars after the Ghana Football Association and the Portuguese coach mutually agreed to terminate his contract, bringing an abrupt end to his latest spell in charge.
The decision was announced on Thursday, October 1, just two days after Ghana suffered a damaging 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Queiroz had only returned to the Black Stars in September after previously stepping down following Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. His latest appointment was confirmed by the GFA on September 2, meaning his second spell lasted only a few weeks.
The Portuguese coach’s departure comes at a difficult moment for Ghanaian football. The Black Stars have lost both of their opening AFCON qualifying matches and currently sit at the bottom of Group C without a point.
Ghana began the qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire before suffering an even more painful setback against The Gambia in Accra.
The Black Stars appeared to be in control against The Gambia after Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan put the hosts 2-0 ahead. However, the visitors fought back before half-time and eventually completed a remarkable 4-2 comeback victory.
The defeat placed enormous pressure on Queiroz.
Speaking after the match, the coach accepted responsibility for the result and described it as a painful moment for Ghanaian football. He apologised to supporters and acknowledged that the performance had fallen well below expectations.
Interestingly, Queiroz had rejected suggestions immediately after the defeat that his resignation would solve Ghana’s wider football problems. He said leaving the position would be the easiest solution but maintained that the decision over his future belonged to the GFA.
Less than 48 hours later, however, both sides agreed to end the relationship.
In his farewell statement, Queiroz said the decision was not easy but that the interests of Ghana, the Black Stars and Ghanaian football had to come first.
He also suggested that conditions necessary to achieve his intended objectives had not been fully established during his latest spell.
The veteran coach said he arrived determined to help build a stronger future for the Black Stars and support the development of Ghanaian talent. However, he acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the team, together with the recent results, contributed to the decision to end his tenure.
Queiroz also used his farewell message to defend the players and appeal to Ghanaian supporters to continue backing them.
He urged the public to believe in the current generation and give the players the unity and support needed to develop their potential.
His departure creates another coaching vacancy for the Black Stars at a particularly sensitive stage of the AFCON qualifying campaign.
Ghana are attempting to return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the previous edition in Morocco. Their current Group C campaign, however, has started in the worst possible fashion, with defeats against both Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
The situation is made even more difficult by the fact that Ghana had entered the qualifying campaign with renewed optimism following their performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Queiroz guided the Black Stars into the knockout stage of the World Cup, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Colombia. Ghana had earlier defeated Panama 1-0 and held England to a goalless draw during the group stage before losing 2-1 to Croatia.
Despite that World Cup progress, Queiroz’s second appointment was short-lived.
His overall record across his two periods in charge ended with one win, two draws and four defeats from seven matches, with Ghana scoring five goals and conceding 10 during that period.
The timing of his exit leaves the GFA with an important decision to make. The federation must now determine who will take responsibility for a team that urgently needs points in the remaining AFCON qualifiers.
For Ghana, the challenge goes beyond replacing a coach. The Black Stars must recover from two defeats, rebuild confidence and find a way back into contention in a group containing Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia.
Queiroz leaves after a turbulent return, but his final message focused on the future rather than blame.
He thanked the GFA, his technical staff, the players and Ghanaian supporters, while insisting that the talent within the Black Stars remains capable of producing better results with the right environment and support.
The immediate task, however, belongs to the GFA and whoever eventually takes over.
With Ghana already six points behind the early pace in Group C, the next appointment could have a significant bearing on the country’s hopes of returning to the continental championship.
For now, the Black Stars enter another period of uncertainty, with a coaching vacancy added to a qualifying campaign that has already gone badly wrong.
