Omanghana
Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana must focus on qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations while building a team capable of competing in future tournaments.
Speaking before Ghana’s opening qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire, Queiroz acknowledged the disappointment of missing the previous AFCON. He urged players and supporters to treat that failure as a result to correct, rather than a permanent judgment on the national team. A missed tournament, he said, does not erase Ghana’s football history or reputation.
The Portuguese coach pointed to Italy’s recent World Cup qualification failures to illustrate his view that even established football nations must recover from setbacks and continue competing. His immediate priority for Ghana, he said, is to earn a place at AFCON before looking further ahead to ambitions such as the 2030 World Cup.
Queiroz made the remarks as injuries and fitness concerns disrupted his squad preparations. The Ghana Football Association announced nine additions ahead of the qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, including defenders Jonas Adjetey and Alidu Seidu, and forwards Brandon Thomas-Asante, Benjamin Tetteh and Félix Afena-Gyan. Despite those changes, Queiroz insisted his younger players had travelled to Bouaké to compete and deliver a result.
Ghana subsequently lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. The result leaves the Black Stars without a point after their first Group C match and gives Queiroz little time to turn his message into results. Ghana’s next qualifier is against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29
Source: Omanghana
