Carlos Queiroz sacked by Ghana after two defeats in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying

Carlos Queiroz has been dismissed as Ghana manager after the Black Stars lost their opening two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Portuguese coach announced on Thursday that they had ended their partnership, two days after Ghana suffered a 4-2 home defeat by Gambia in their second Group C fixture.

Ghana had already been beaten 2-0 by Ivory Coast in their opening match. The two defeats leave the Black Stars without a point and bottom of Group C, with their hopes of reaching a second successive Africa Cup of Nations already in serious difficulty.

Queiroz’s departure comes only a few months after he took charge. He was appointed Ghana manager in April, just two months before the 2026 World Cup, initially on a four-month contract covering the team’s preparations and the tournament itself.

Despite the limited time available, the 73-year-old made a positive impact during the World Cup. Taking part in his fifth global finals, Queiroz guided Ghana out of a group containing England, Croatia and Panama.

Their run ended in the last 16 with defeat by Colombia. Although Queiroz initially left his position after the tournament, the GFA later decided to retain him, citing his international experience and knowledge of the squad.

His second spell in charge has lasted only a short time. Ghana returned to competitive action with consecutive defeats in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, although the team was without several key players, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew.

In a statement announcing his departure, Queiroz said the decision had been taken “in a spirit of mutual respect”. He added that the interests of Ghana and the Black Stars had to come first.

The former Portugal manager also paid tribute to his players and urged supporters to continue backing them.

The GFA must now appoint a replacement before Ghana’s two-legged meeting with Somalia in November. With two rounds of qualifying completed, the Black Stars are bottom of Group C and face a difficult route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.