Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz says the Black Stars’ immediate priority is to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting Thursday’s opener against Ivory Coast is only the first step toward that goal.
The Black Stars face the reigning African champions at Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Thursday, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT, as they begin their campaign to reach the tournament, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
After Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Queiroz said every national team must first win the “competition” of qualifying before thinking about the finals.
“We are here to play to win one specific competition, and all national teams in this moment they have one specific competition called qualification,” he said.
“That’s the first cup that you have to win.”
The 73-year-old acknowledged the challenge posed by an Ivory Coast side packed with talent but backed his own players to compete against their West African rivals.
He described the clash as an important milestone rather than the defining moment of Ghana’s campaign.
“This game is just one step on our journey to that dream. So our goals are clear. There is no doubt about that.”
Queiroz expects an open and entertaining contest, with both teams eager to make a winning start to the qualifiers.
“We are here to play a good match against a great team, great players, good coaches,” he said.
“I think the fans will enjoy the game a lot because we have also great players, great staff in our team and great potential.”
Ghana enter the fixture determined to avoid another disappointing qualifying campaign after their failure to reach the previous AFCON finals.
Queiroz believes both sides will push for victory but hopes his players can produce the decisive moment.
“I’m sure that both teams want to win. I expect, and I hope, that we will be the team with more inspiration to get the right result.”
The Black Stars will return to Accra after the Bouaké encounter to host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later, before travelling to Tangier to face Morocco in a friendly on 4 October.
