Carlos Queiroz is set to leave his position as head coach of Ghana’s senior national team following a disastrous start to the Black Stars’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with discussions over his future reportedly reaching a decisive stage.

The development comes after Ghana suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening Group C fixtures, losing 2-0 away to Côte d’Ivoire before suffering a shocking 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The two results have left the four-time African champions without a point from their opening two matches and at the bottom of their qualifying group, putting significant pressure on the Portuguese coach only weeks after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) renewed his mandate.

Queiroz was reappointed in September after initially stepping away from the Black Stars following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The GFA had reached an agreement with the experienced Portuguese coach to continue in charge after consultations with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

The decision followed Ghana’s World Cup campaign, where Queiroz guided the Black Stars into the knockout stage before they were eliminated by Colombia.

The coach subsequently returned to lead Ghana into the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, with the GFA expressing confidence in his experience and knowledge of the team.

That confidence has, however, been severely tested by Ghana’s poor start to the continental qualifying race.

Black Stars surrender two-goal lead

Ghana’s latest defeat has intensified the pressure surrounding Queiroz after the Black Stars surrendered a two-goal advantage against The Gambia on Tuesday.

The hosts appeared to be firmly in control after Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 27th minute before Felix Afena-Gyan doubled Ghana’s advantage six minutes later.

Instead of building on the commanding start, however, Ghana collapsed after the break as The Gambia mounted a remarkable comeback to score four unanswered goals and secure all three points.

The GFA described the result as a shock defeat, with the loss leaving the Black Stars with no points after two matches.

The result followed Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in the opening round of the qualifiers, meaning the Black Stars have conceded six goals in their first two matches while scoring only two.

Pressure mounts on Queiroz

The latest setback has increased calls for a change in the technical direction of the national team, particularly given the circumstances surrounding Queiroz’s return.

The 73-year-old coach was brought back in April to lead Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Otto Addo was relieved of his position.

Despite Ghana’s eventual elimination in the Round of 32, the GFA subsequently opted to retain Queiroz, handing him a new mandate ahead of the AFCON qualifiers.

The decision appeared to offer the Portuguese tactician an opportunity to build on the progress made at the World Cup, but the opening two qualifying matches have produced the opposite effect.

Before the qualifiers began, Queiroz had described AFCON qualification as the immediate priority for his new cycle with the Black Stars, with a longer-term objective of building a team capable of competing at the 2030 World Cup.

Ghana’s opening defeats have now placed that project under considerable pressure.

Coach says resignation would not solve Ghana’s problems

Following the defeat to The Gambia, Queiroz was asked about calls for his resignation and whether he would consider stepping down.

The Portuguese coach said he would be willing to leave if the Ghana Football Association believed his departure would genuinely address the problems confronting Ghanaian football.

He nevertheless argued that his resignation alone would not necessarily resolve the wider issues facing the national team.

The comments came after the Black Stars surrendered their two-goal lead in front of their home supporters, a result that has further intensified scrutiny of the coach and the team.

Ghana face difficult road ahead

Ghana’s immediate challenge is to recover from the poor start and revive their qualification hopes in a group that also contains Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia.

The Black Stars’ next competitive assignments will therefore carry significant importance as they attempt to recover lost ground and avoid missing another edition of the AFCON.

Ghana failed to qualify for the previous Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, making the current qualifying campaign particularly important for a country that has won the continental title four times but has not lifted the trophy since 1982.

The Black Stars will now need a major turnaround in their remaining fixtures if they are to secure a place at the 2027 tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

For Queiroz, meanwhile, the latest crisis represents a dramatic change from the optimism that accompanied his reappointment less than a month ago.

Whether the Portuguese coach remains in charge or makes way for another manager is now the subject of intense scrutiny following Ghana’s disastrous opening to the AFCON qualification campaign.

—By Austine Agbo Emmanuel