Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has delivered a statement that lands with the weight of both urgency and reassurance, declaring that the Black Stars will have a new head coach in place before the senior national team next gathers.
In his own words the man who will lead the side is already “99 percent in place” and, more tellingly, already at work. The remark is not casual optimism. It is a deliberate signal that the association has moved past the public uncertainty that followed the expiration of Carlos Queiroz’s short-term World Cup contract and has quietly advanced negotiations to the point where only formalities remain.
The timing matters.
The Black Stars must regroup in September for the opening fixtures of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, a campaign that begins almost immediately after the emotional hangover of a World Cup that saw Ghana reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2010.
Okraku’s insistence that the new coach is already working suggests the incoming technical lead has begun reviewing video, studying player availability across European and African leagues, and shaping an initial staff structure even before the official announcement.
That early start is intended to compress the usual period of acquaintance that so often costs national teams their first competitive window.
The new coach will inherit a squad that climbed from the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup to 24th in the FIFA rankings by the tournament’s end, a statistical improvement Okraku himself has cited as evidence the project is moving in the right direction.
Ghana’s Black Stars are currently without a head coach after Carlos Queiroz’s short-term contract expired following the 2026 World Cup.
Queiroz, 73, was appointed in April 2026 on a four-month deal after Otto Addo was sacked following poor friendly results. He guided Ghana to the knockout stage for the first time since 2010 before they exited against Colombia. The GFA’s Executive Council recommended keeping him long-term, but talks collapsed over salary demands (he had been on about $80,000 a month). The Ministry of Sports must approve any deal because it funds the salary.
The GFA is now in active negotiations and aims to name a new coach before the 2027 AFCON qualifiers begin in September (Group C with Ivory Coast, Gambia and Somalia). Executive Council member Gideon Fosu has confirmed discussions are ongoing and that a coach will be in place for upcoming matches.
