Carlos Queiroz leaves Ghana post after three months and World Cup round-of-32 defeat to Colombia
Carlos Queiroz announced his departure as Ghana head coach on Sunday, a day after the Black Stars were eliminated by Colombia in the World Cup round of 32. The 73-year-old Portuguese manager had been in charge for less than three months, having replaced Otto Addo in April.
Queiroz's swift exit
Carlos Queiroz has stepped down as Ghana head coach after just three months in the role, announcing his decision on Instagram on Sunday. The move came a day after Ghana's 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the World Cup round of 32, which ended their campaign at the first knockout stage. Queiroz, 73, had been appointed in April to replace Otto Addo, who was sacked 72 days before the tournament. The Ghana Football Federation had not disclosed any contract duration beyond the World Cup.
I leave this journey with pride in what we achieved, but also with the healthy dissatisfaction of those who always wanted more. Reaching a higher level should never be the destination -- it should be the beginning of even greater ambitions.
Ghana's tournament run
The Black Stars opened their Group L campaign with a 1-0 win over Panama, sealed by a stoppage-time goal from Caleb Yirenkyi. A goalless draw against England followed, before a 2-1 loss to Croatia left them third in the group on four points. That was enough to advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams, but Colombia proved too strong in the last 32, winning 1-0 on Friday. The result fell short of Ghana's best World Cup showing, a quarter-final appearance in 2010.
- Appointed Ghana head coach, replacing Otto Addo
- Ghana 1-0 Panama (Yirenkyi stoppage-time winner)
- Ghana 0-0 England
- Ghana 1-2 Croatia
- Round of 32: Ghana 0-1 Colombia
- Queiroz announces departure on Instagram
A veteran's journey
Queiroz was managing at his fifth consecutive World Cup, having previously led Portugal (2010) and Iran (2018, 2022) at the tournament. His highest-profile club role was as Real Madrid head coach in 2003-04, sandwiched between two spells as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, where the club won three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. Ghana was his ninth national team job; he has also coached South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman.
Football, like life, teaches us one timeless lesson: you either win or you learn.
Off-field foundations
In his farewell message, Queiroz stressed that Ghana's future success depends on structures beyond the pitch. "The future of the Black Stars will not be built only on the pitch," he wrote. "Black Stars success must start off the field, by creating the best possible environment to prepare, protect and develop Ghana's extraordinary football talent." His tenure followed a difficult period for the national side, which had lost four consecutive matches before his arrival (including heavy friendly defeats to Austria and Germany) and missed qualification for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
