Carlos Queiroz is expected back in Ghana this week as the Black Stars turn from the 2026 World Cup to the start of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The 73-year-old Portuguese coach, retained after a short-term World Cup mandate, is due to begin on-the-ground preparations for a demanding opening double-header that starts away to Côte d’Ivoire on 24 September and continues with a home fixture against The Gambia on 27 September.
Queiroz first took charge in April after Otto Addo was dismissed, arriving with a brief to steer Ghana through the World Cup in North America. He delivered the country’s first knockout appearance at the tournament since 2010, before a 1-0 last-32 defeat to Colombia ended the run. His original contract then expired, and he even signalled that the journey was over.
After talks involving the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, both sides agreed he should stay for the next phase. Officials have fast-tracked the process so the coach can name a squad and meet invitation deadlines before the September window.
Reports indicate the new arrangement is a one-year deal, with room for an extension if Ghana qualify for AFCON 2027. Full contractual details have not yet been published, and association officials have said only minor administrative points remain.
Upon arrival Queiroz is expected to be formally reintroduced to Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams before speaking to the press. The GFA has cited his international experience, technical record and existing knowledge of the squad as reasons for continuity rather than another reset so close to competitive matches.
The immediate task is qualification itself. Ghana missed the 2025 AFCON in Morocco and sit in Group C with Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia, with the top two advancing. The campaign opens in Bouaké at the Stade de la Paix against the Elephants, a West African derby that will test how quickly Queiroz can reassemble a side that mixed World Cup promise with unfinished business.
Three days later the Black Stars host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, a venue being prepared to CAF standard for that fixture. Later windows bring Somalia twice in November and return games against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia in March 2027.
