Carlos Queiroz Quits Ghana Job After Two AFCON Qualifying Losses

Carlos Queiroz left his post as Ghana's head coach on Thursday, the Ghana Football Association said, after the Black Stars opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with two losses in two matches, according to Al Jazeera. The GFA called it a mutual termination, ending a second stint that lasted less than a month.

Why Did Carlos Queiroz Leave Ghana?

The GFA reappointed Queiroz on September 2, 2026, and dismissed him by mutual agreement on October 1 — a tenure of roughly four weeks, per Al Jazeera's reporting. In a statement published on the association's website, Queiroz said "the necessary conditions were not fully established, and our recent performance added to the decision to bring this journey to an end." He added that the parting was "not an easy decision" but that both sides agreed ending the relationship served "the interests of Ghana, the Black Stars and Ghanaian football above everything else."

The trigger was Ghana's 4-2 home defeat to Gambia in an AFCON qualifier at Accra Sports Stadium, a result that followed a 2-0 away loss to Ivory Coast in the group's opening fixture.

What Is Queiroz's Record as Ghana Coach?

Across his full, non-consecutive tenure with Ghana — which began in April 2026 on a four-month World Cup contract and resumed September 2 — Queiroz managed seven matches: one win, two draws and four defeats, Al Jazeera reported. Ghana scored five goals and conceded 10 over that span, a goal differential of minus-five. The 73-year-old Portuguese coach's second stint produced zero wins across two qualifiers, both losses, with Ghana outscored 6-2 in those two games alone.

How Did Ghana Lose to Gambia?

Ghana led 2-0 at home after goals from Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan, according to Al Jazeera's match account. Gambia then scored four unanswered goals to win 4-2, completing what the outlet described as a "remarkable turnaround." The result means Ghana has been outscored by a combined 6-2 margin across its first two Group C qualifiers — the 2-0 loss at Ivory Coast and the 4-2 collapse against Gambia.

Where Does Ghana Stand in AFCON 2027 Qualifying?

Ghana sits bottom of Group C with zero points from two matches, six points behind both Ivory Coast and Gambia, per Al Jazeera. Only the top two finishers in each four-team group advance to the tournament, meaning Queiroz's successor inherits a group table in which Ghana must close a six-point gap with two rivals already unbeaten. Ghana, a four-time African champion, missed the previous AFCON and now faces what Al Jazeera characterized as an uphill fight to avoid a second straight absence from the continental tournament.

What Did Queiroz Achieve at the World Cup?

Queiroz's first stint, under the four-month contract signed in April 2026, produced Ghana's best World Cup showing since 2010. The team beat Panama and drew with England to reach the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years, according to Al Jazeera, before Colombia eliminated the Black Stars 1-0 in the round of 32. That contract expired after the tournament, and the GFA brought Queiroz back on September 2 for a new mandate — one that lasted 29 days before Thursday's termination.

The numbers frame a stark before-and-after: a World Cup run that ended one round short of the quarterfinals, followed by a qualifying restart in which Ghana has yet to win, draw, or even trail by fewer than two goals in either outing. The GFA now returns to a coaching search for the second time in six months, with the qualifying clock already running against the Black Stars.

What Does Queiroz's Exit Mean for the GFA's Coaching Search?

Queiroz's departure closes what Al Jazeera described as a turbulent five-month association with the Ghana Football Association, stretching from his April 2026 World Cup appointment through Thursday's mutual termination. The outlet characterized his exit as leaving the GFA "searching again for stability at a difficult moment," language that frames the federation's second coaching search inside half a year against a qualifying table already tilted against the Black Stars.

The GFA has not named an interim or permanent successor, according to the available reporting, and Al Jazeera's account does not specify a timeline for appointing one. Whoever takes over inherits a group in which Ghana trails both Group C rivals by six points after two rounds, with the next qualifying window determining whether the gap can close before the top-two cutoff narrows further. Al Jazeera's reporting does not list Ghana's next qualifying fixture date, leaving the question of when a new coach would debut unanswered in the source material.