Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana’s recent struggles in competitive qualifiers are not a problem that started with his appointment, insisting that the team’s difficulty in winning matches has been developing over a longer period.
Queiroz made the comments after Ghana’s disappointing 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The defeat extended Ghana’s difficult run in the qualifiers and increased pressure on the Black Stars, who have struggled to produce consistent results in recent competitive matches.
Responding to questions about Ghana’s poor run, Queiroz pointed to the history of the team’s results and argued that the current situation should not be viewed in isolation.
“It’s not the first time that Ghana does not win a match in the qualifiers. It’s become number eight. So this issue doesn’t start today. It doesn’t start yesterday. We have 8 games. The last time Ghana won one game was 8 games before.”
The Portuguese coach’s comments suggest that he believes the problems facing the Black Stars go beyond the outcome of the latest match against The Gambia.
Ghana entered the game hoping to recover from a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in their opening AFCON qualifying fixture.
However, despite taking a two-goal lead against The Gambia, the Black Stars conceded twice before half-time before losing the match 4-2.
The result has intensified the scrutiny surrounding Queiroz and his technical team, particularly after Ghana’s difficult start to the qualifying campaign.
Queiroz has also previously stressed that the challenges facing Ghana football cannot be attributed solely to the national team coach.
The coach has spoken about the need for improvements in several areas of Ghana football, including player development, youth football, coaching, infrastructure and the general structure supporting the national teams.
His latest comments therefore place the current results within a wider context, with Queiroz pointing to Ghana’s previous performances in qualifiers rather than treating the defeat to The Gambia as an isolated incident.
The Black Stars will now have to find a way to reverse the poor run as the qualification campaign continues, with the pressure growing on both the technical team and the players to deliver improved results.
