Ghana’s Carlos Queiroz has confirmed that he is stepping down from his position as head coach of the Black Stars in the aftermath of their World Cup elimination.
The 73-year-old Portuguese coach was appointed on a short-term deal in April to oversee the West Africans’ World Cup campaign after the Ghanaian Federation opted to part ways with Otto Addo following the March international break.
The Black Stars advanced from Group L before falling to Colombia in Friday’s round-of-32 match in Kansas City.
“To Ghana, football, like life, teaches us one timeless lesson: you either win or you learn,” began a statement posted by Queiroz on his social handles. “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.
“The future of the Black Stars will not be built only on the pitch, Black Stars’ success must start off the field, by creating the best possible environment to prepare, protect and develop Ghana’s extraordinary football talent.”
Queiroz surpassed expectations at the tournament, defeating Panama and holding England to secure their progression to the knockout stages for the first time since they reached the quarterfinals and took Uruguay to the brink in 2010.
They were defeated by Croatia in their final group game, and were unable to stage a comeback against Colombia in the round of 32 after falling behind to Jhon Arias’s 14th-minute opener.
There had been some speculation that Queiroz would extend his deal with Ghana after the tournament, with the former Egypt and Iran boss refusing to rule out — when asked by ESPN — the prospect of guiding the Black Stars to the 2030 World Cup.
“To my president and board, thank you so much for the opportunity to serve the Ghana national football team,” his statement concluded. “It was an honour and privilege to serve the country and the Black Stars.
“To my players and staff, my deepest gratitude for your courage, commitment and unwavering dedication to the team. To the fans, we cannot claim complete sporting satisfaction, but we can proudly say that we honoured the colours of Ghana and restored respect and credibility to the Black Stars on football’s greatest stage.
“Thank you, Ghana. The journey starts now. To the future.”
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The defeat by Colombia was Queiroz’s 265th match as an international head coach — only two coaches have overseen more matches than him in history — with the Angola-born tactician winning 142 of those matches.
Amidst his many managerial appointments, Queiroz also took the reins of Colombia between 2019 and 2020, but was relieved of his duties as they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Ghana must now consider their managerial options ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers, which will begin in September.
