AFCON 2027 Qualifier:Queiroz Vows to Remain as Ghana Coach After Gambia Loss
By Our Sports Desk
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz on Wednesday refused to resign after his side’s calamitous 4-2 defeat at home to Gambia in qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Ghana sped into a 2-0 lead with goals from the Lyon forward Ernest Nuamah and Félix Afena-Gyan.
But Gambia hit back on Tuesday night with two strikes before half-time at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ebrima Colley put Gambia ahead midway through the second half before the 26-year-old struck again in stoppage-time to wrap up the points in the Group C tie.
The defeat – following on from the 2-0 loss in Côte d’Ivoire last week – left Ghana bottom of a four-team group with no points after two of the six qualifying games.
‘I’ll be the first one to resign’
“If you believe that with the coach resigning, you can change the situation of football in Ghana, I’ll be the first one to resign,” said Queiroz during a fractious interchange with Ghanaian reporters after the game.
“I don’t have that belief but that is a decision for the board of the football federation to analyse.”
Ghana’s football chiefs recalled 73-year-old Queiroz to lead the country’s 2027 Cup of Nations campaign after he stepped down following their run to the last 32 at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
They will attempt to relaunch their Cup of Nations campaign with two games against Somalia in November while Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire slug it out at the top of the group.
“We cannot undo the result against Gambia,” added Queiroz who apologised to fans for his side’s performance.
“But what we can do is to be better prepared, better organised for the next games and win the next games. This is what we have to do.”
