AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Carlos Queiroz calls Ivory Coast penalty ‘a joke’ after Ghana’s defeat

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz branded the penalty awarded to Ivory Coast in his side’s 2-0 defeat in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier as “a joke”.

The Black Stars began their Group C campaign with defeat in Bouaké, where Malick Yalcouyé gave the hosts the lead shortly before half-time at the Stade de Bouaké.

The turning point came early in the second half when referee awarded Ivory Coast a penalty after Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was judged to have fouled Yalcouyé inside the area.

Franck Kessié converted from the spot to seal a 2-0 victory for the reigning African champions.

Speaking after the match, Queiroz insisted the decision was wrong after reviewing the incident on television.

“That penalty, it’s a joke. The penalty, it is a joke. I just saw it on the television,” the Portuguese coach said.

He suggested the decision came at a decisive moment, with Ghana still in contention at 1-0 down.

“I don’t think that Ivory Coast needed the referee to come inside the game and create an unbalanced situation,” he added.

Queiroz continued his criticism, arguing the call disrupted his team’s attempts to mount a comeback.

“When we were 1-0 down and we fought for our chances, we fought for our opportunities, comes somebody that should not play and make unbalanced the game.”

The result leaves Ghana bottom of Group C after the opening round of fixtures, while Ivory Coast move to the top with three points.

The Black Stars will look to respond when they host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on 29 September.

Ghana are attempting to return to the AFCON finals after missing out on qualification for the 2025 tournament in Morocco, their first absence from the competition in more than two decades.