Carlos Queiroz has been officially unveiled as head coach of Ghana’s Black Stars, declaring the role the greatest challenge of his four-decade career as he prepares to lead the country into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with less than 50 days until kick-off.
The 73-year-old Portuguese tactician was formally presented to the media at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Thursday, April 24, 2026, with Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku among the officials present. He has been contracted for a four-month period with the sole objective of steering Ghana through the World Cup.
Addressing the Ghanaian public for the first time in his new role, Queiroz set the tone for his tenure with a direct message. “Since I arrived, I have felt the vibration. I realized the soul of the Black Stars is huge, and as a result, the expectations are huge. This is the biggest challenge of my entire career, and I am ready for that. I can promise that I will bring my forty years of experience to help,” he said.
The contract also includes a performance-based extension clause. Should Ghana progress to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Queiroz would automatically earn a permanent appointment as head coach.
Queiroz brings extensive World Cup pedigree to the role, having guided South Africa to qualification for the 2002 tournament, led Portugal to the knockout phase in 2010, and taken charge of Iran at both the 2014 and 2018 editions. He has also coached Egypt, Oman, Japan and Qatar.
He confirmed that five new members will join his backroom setup, while existing staff including assistant coach Desmond Offei, goalkeeper trainer Fatawu Dauda, and high-performance coach John Paintsil will retain their roles. Veteran goalkeeper coach Roger De Sa, a long-time Queiroz collaborator, will also join the setup.
Queiroz made clear that no player is guaranteed a place in the squad, stressing a merit-based selection approach. “In modern football there are no defence or attacking coaches. The minimum that the Ghana national team expects from me is to win. I am a winning coach,” he stated.
Queiroz takes charge at a difficult moment, with Ghana having suffered four consecutive defeats. He succeeds Otto Addo, who was dismissed in March following friendly losses to Austria and Germany.
Ghana open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, Canada, before facing England and Croatia in their remaining Group L fixtures. Warm-up friendlies against Mexico and Wales are also scheduled ahead of the tournament.
