Carlos Queiroz has left his role as Ghana manager after the Black Stars lost their opening two matches in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Portuguese coach announced the end of their partnership on Thursday, two days after Ghana suffered a 4-2 home defeat by Gambia in their second Group C fixture.
The result followed a 2-0 loss away to Cote d’Ivoire in the opening round of matches, leaving Ghana without a point and bottom of the group. Their hopes of missing a second successive Africa Cup of Nations are already under serious threat.
Queiroz’s departure comes only a few months after he was appointed. He took charge of Ghana in April, around two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, with his initial task being to guide the team through the tournament.
His first contract covered a four-month period, including the World Cup preparations and finals. Despite the limited time available, the 73-year-old enjoyed a successful campaign on the global stage.
Queiroz oversaw Ghana’s progress from a group containing England, Croatia and Panama. The Black Stars reached the last 16 before being eliminated by Colombia.
The tournament was the Portuguese coach’s fifth World Cup. Although he initially left his position after the competition, the GFA later decided to extend his tenure, citing his international experience and familiarity with the squad.
That second spell has lasted only a short time, however. Ghana returned to competitive action with two defeats in the opening stages of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The team were affected by the absence of several key players, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew, but the poor start prompted the decision to bring Queiroz’s tenure to an end.
In a statement announcing his departure, Queiroz said the decision had been made “in a spirit of mutual respect”. He added that the interests of Ghana and the Black Stars had to come first.
The former manager also paid tribute to his players and urged supporters to continue backing them.
The GFA must now appoint a new coach before Ghana face Somalia in a double-header in November. With two matches played, the Black Stars are bottom of Group C and face an increasingly difficult route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.