The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is under growing pressure to resolve the future of Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz, with negotiations over a contract extension reportedly complicated by the Portuguese coach’s demands.
Queiroz was appointed in April, only weeks before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He signed a four-month contract, which is due to expire in August, with his immediate responsibility being to lead Ghana at the tournament.
Although the Black Stars were eliminated in the Round of 32, Queiroz achieved a notable milestone by guiding Ghana into the knockout stage for the first time since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The achievement led to calls from some supporters and members of the football fraternity for the experienced coach to remain in charge and build on the progress made at the tournament.
Queiroz initially appeared to indicate that he would leave after Ghana’s World Cup campaign ended. He later clarified in an interview that his social media post had been misunderstood and was not confirmation that he was stepping down.
President John Dramani Mahama has also backed the idea of keeping Queiroz, publicly calling on the relevant authorities to convince the coach to continue with the national team.
During a visit to the Ho Sports Stadium in July, Mahama said retaining the coach and the current squad could give Ghana a strong chance of competing for major honours at the next Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup.
“I’m sure that if we keep this team, and we persuade the coach Carlos Queiroz to continue to work with the team, by the time of the next AFCON and the next World Cup, we’ll have a team that can claim the championship in either of those two competitions,” Mahama said.
Despite the interest in retaining him, negotiations have reportedly stalled over Queiroz’s demands, leaving his future with the Black Stars uncertain.
GFA Executive Council member Nana Oduro Sarfo has also revealed that the association is considering other options as discussions with Queiroz continue.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is still in talks with other coaches for the Black Stars job,” Oduro Sarfo told Kumasi-based Ezra Radio.
The coaching situation has also been affected by the departure of assistant coach Roger De Sa, who joined Queiroz’s technical team ahead of the World Cup.
De Sa has since left the Black Stars after being appointed technical director of Cape Town Spurs. His departure means that Queiroz would potentially have to make changes to his technical team should he remain in charge.
The GFA now has limited time to settle the matter, with Ghana’s 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign approaching.
The Black Stars are scheduled to return to action in September when they begin their qualifying campaign after missing the previous edition of the tournament in Morocco.
Ghana has been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia.
With the qualifiers approaching, the GFA will be under pressure to end the uncertainty surrounding the dugout and ensure the Black Stars have a settled coaching structure before the campaign begins.
