The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is reportedly unlikely to extend the contract of Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz, despite growing calls for the veteran Portuguese coach to remain in charge of the national team.
Queiroz was appointed in April on a four-month contract, replacing Otto Addo, with his primary task being to lead Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 73-year-old guided the Black Stars to the knockout stage of the tournament, marking Ghana’s first appearance in the World Cup’s knockout phase since the 2010 edition in South Africa.
Ghana were eventually eliminated in the Round of 32, but the team’s progress under Queiroz has prompted sections of the football fraternity and supporters to call for the Portuguese coach to be retained.
President John Mahama has also publicly expressed his support for extending Queiroz’s tenure.
During a visit to the Sports Stadium in July, Mahama urged the relevant authorities to convince the experienced coach to continue with the Black Stars, arguing that continuity could help Ghana compete for major honours at the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup.
“I’m sure that if we keep this team, and we persuade the coach Carlos Queiroz to continue to work with the team, by the time of the next AFCON and the next World Cup, we’ll have a team that can claim the championship in either of those two competitions,” Mahama said.
Queiroz’s future, however, remains uncertain.
Following Ghana’s World Cup exit, the Portuguese coach appeared to suggest that his time with the Black Stars was over. He later clarified that his social media post had been misinterpreted and was not an announcement of his departure.
Despite reported interest from the GFA in keeping him, negotiations have been complicated by the coach’s demands, raising further doubts over whether an agreement can be reached.
GFA Executive Council member Nana Oduro Sarfo has also confirmed that the association is considering alternatives.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is still in talks with other coaches for the Black Stars job,” Oduro Sarfo told Kumasi-based Ezra Radio.
The uncertainty has been compounded by the departure of assistant coach Roger De Sa, who joined Queiroz’s technical team ahead of the World Cup.
De Sa has since taken up a new role as technical director of Cape Town Spurs, meaning Queiroz would have to make changes to his backroom staff if he is retained.
The GFA now faces increasing pressure to settle the coaching situation ahead of Ghana’s return to competitive action.
The Black Stars are scheduled to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in September, having missed the previous edition of the tournament in Morocco.
Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia.
With the qualifiers approaching, the GFA will be keen to avoid prolonged uncertainty over the national team’s leadership and ensure the Black Stars have adequate time to prepare for their bid to return to the continent’s biggest football tournament.
