Carlos Queiroz, the experienced Portuguese coach who guided the Ghana Black Stars to the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup under a short-term contract, has come under scrutiny from former Accra Hearts of Oak CEO Harry Zakour.
In a recent interview, Zakour expressed the firm view that the 73-year-old is simply too old to take on the permanent Black Stars job, arguing that the demands of modern international football require a younger, more energetic presence on the touchline and in the day-to-day management of a national team programme.
Zakour’s comments arrive at a sensitive moment for Ghanaian football. After Queiroz’s caretaker stint produced a respectable showing on the global stage, debate has intensified over whether the Portuguese tactician should be retained on a longer-term basis or whether the Ghana Football Association should look elsewhere.
Supporters of continuity point to Queiroz’s proven ability to organise a defensive structure, his experience handling high-pressure tournaments, and the relative stability he brought to a squad that had endured turbulence in previous cycles.
Critics, however, emphasise the physical and mental toll of the role: constant travel across continents for qualifiers and friendlies, the need to scout players in Europe and beyond, the pressure of media scrutiny in Accra, and the requirement to rebuild team culture after successive disappointments.
At 73, Queiroz is older than most coaches currently in charge of major national teams, and Zakour’s intervention crystallises a broader concern that age could become a limiting factor in the intense, fast-evolving environment of African and world football.
Harry Zakour himself brings a particular perspective shaped by years at the helm of one of Ghana’s most storied clubs. As former CEO of Accra Hearts of Oak, he witnessed first-hand the challenges of managing ambitious football projects in a competitive domestic league and the importance of aligning coaching appointments with long-term vision.
His public statement therefore carries weight among local stakeholders who believe the Black Stars need not only tactical expertise but also a coach capable of investing several years into a developmental cycle that stretches from World Cup qualification through to continental tournaments and beyond.
Zakour’s assessment is not framed as a personal slight against Queiroz’s achievements; rather, it is presented as a pragmatic evaluation of the energy, adaptability and sustained presence required to revitalise Ghanaian football at the highest level.
The short-term nature of Queiroz’s previous engagement with the Black Stars is itself instructive. Brought in to steady the ship ahead of the World Cup, he delivered results that exceeded many pre-tournament expectations, taking the team past the group stage into the round of 32.
That success has inevitably fuelled calls for him to be given a more permanent mandate. Yet the very fact that the contract was temporary underscores the provisional character of the appointment and leaves the door open for fresh thinking. Zakour’s insistence that age is a decisive factor adds a new dimension to the conversation, shifting attention from pure results to questions of longevity, succession planning and the physical capacity to handle the relentless calendar of modern international football.