Ghana Appoints Queiroz for…

Ghana has appointed Carlos Queiroz as the head coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars. The seasoned coach, who previously managed Real Madrid, Manchester United, Portugal, and Iran, will lead Ghana’s quest in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Queiroz, aged 73, starts immediately. Ghana’s opening Group L match will be against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field in Toronto, followed by matches against England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Croatia on June 27 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

According to sources within the GFA, Queiroz’s appointment is intended as a short-term contract that will be reviewed after the World Cup.

Queiroz stated on the GFA website, “This is not just another job — it is a mission. I am prepared to dedicate all my experience and wisdom to the service of the game and the joy of the people.”

This decision concludes a two-week search initiated when the GFA dismissed Otto Addo on March 30, following a 2-1 defeat in a friendly match against Germany in Stuttgart. This loss marked the Black Stars’ fourth consecutive defeat in their pre-tournament matches, having previously lost to Japan, South Korea, and Austria, the latter by a score of 5-1 in Vienna. Addo, who had led Ghana to the tournament by winning eight and drawing one out of ten qualifying matches, was sacked just 72 days before the World Cup’s commencement.

GFA president Kurt Okraku revealed that the association received over 600 applications within the first 24 hours following Addo’s ousting, even though no public call for candidates was made.

Queiroz triumphed over several notable contenders for the role.

Among the frontrunners was Slaven Bilic, a 57-year-old Croatian and former manager of West Ham United, who had direct discussions with the GFA. Bilic managed Croatia during Euro 2008, leading them to the quarterfinals, and spent two seasons in the Premier League.

Herve Renard, known for winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015, was also a serious candidate. Reports suggest that the GFA may consider Renard for a long-term role after the World Cup, which could have impacted the decision to make Queiroz’s initial appointment short-term.

Kwesi Appiah, the current manager of Sudan and former head coach of the Black Stars, was frequently mentioned in discussions, but sources indicate that his relationship with Okraku was a significant barrier. Other candidates included Tom Saintfiet, who led Gambia to a historic AFCON quarterfinal in 2021, and Kim Lars Bjorkgren, a Swedish coach active in Ghana’s domestic football scene.

Bringing a wealth of World Cup experience, Queiroz has coached national teams in five FIFA World Cups.

Queiroz was born in Mozambique in 1953 and gained recognition by coaching Portugal’s youth teams to consecutive FIFA U20 World Cup victories in 1989 and 1991, nurturing talents like Luis Figo and Rui Costa. He subsequently managed Sporting CP, securing the Portuguese Cup in 1995, before coaching the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Japan’s Nagoya Grampus Eight.

In terms of club management, his most prestigious roles included head coach of Real Madrid in the 2003-04 season, where he clinched the Spanish Super Cup, and serving as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United during two different periods from 2002 to 2003 and 2004 to 2008.

Queiroz’s first position in African football was as head coach of South Africa. He was appointed in 2000 and led Bafana Bafana to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup by securing the top position in their CAF qualifying group, which included a crucial late victory over Mali. However, he resigned prior to the tournament due to disagreements with the South African Football Association.

He managed Portugal’s senior team from 2008 to 2010, leading them to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they reached the Round of 16, notably defeating North Korea 7-0 in the group stage.

Queiroz’s longest tenure was with Iran, spanning nearly eight years from 2011 to 2019, during which he became the longest-serving coach in the country’s football history. He secured Iran’s qualification for both the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as unbeaten group winners, and again for the 2018 tournament in Russia, where Iran narrowly missed progressing past the group stage after drawing 1-1 with Portugal and competing in a group with Spain and Portugal. He returned for a third World Cup with Iran in the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where the team claimed a 2-0 victory against Wales, but was still eliminated in the group stage following losses to England (6-2) and the United States (1-0).

In between his Iran tenures, Queiroz was in charge of Colombia from 2019 to 2020. Under his leadership, Colombia topped their group at the 2019 Copa America with a perfect record of nine points, including a 2-0 win over Argentina, before losing in the quarterfinals via penalties. However, performance declined during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with home defeats to Uruguay (3-0) and Ecuador (6-1), which ultimately led to his departure.

Next, he took charge of Egypt in September 2021. He steered the Pharaohs to the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, with significant victories including a penalty win over Ivory Coast in the Round of 16 and a 2-1 quarterfinal win against Morocco. Unfortunately, Egypt lost to Senegal in the final, again via penalties. Subsequently, Egypt’s loss in a World Cup playoff to Senegal, also on penalties, resulted in a mutual termination of Queiroz’s contract.

In 2023, he briefly managed Qatar, but that engagement came to an end by mutual agreement after just 12 matches. Most recently, he led the Oman national team.

This will mark Ghana’s fifth appearance at the World Cup. The four-time AFCON champions made it to the Round of 16 during their tournament debut in 2006, reached the quarterfinals in 2010, and were placed in the group stage in both 2014 and 2022.

Ghana did not qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, marking their first absence from the continental championship in 21 years. The current squad features Premier League players such as Mohammed Kudus of West Ham and Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth.

Leading up to the tournament, Ghana is scheduled to play friendly matches against Mexico and Wales, which Queiroz will use to evaluate his players and finalize tactical arrangements for the World Cup.