Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has accepted full responsibility for Ghana’s 4-2 loss to The Gambia and apologised to the supporters after the team gave away a two-goal lead at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.
Speaking after the Group C 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Queiroz described the result as a terrible one and said he was deeply disappointed alongside his technical team and players.
“There is not much to say today after the terrible result for us. I, the staff, all the players, we are deeply sad with the result. And we have to say sorry to our fans, to our supporters, for what happened in the stadium,” he said.
Ghana looked to be in control after Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan scored in the first half. However, The Gambia scored twice before the break, which Queiroz said affected the team’s confidence and changed the direction of the match.
The Portuguese coach asked supporters to direct any criticism towards him rather than the players. He also said the current squad would be responsible for helping Ghana qualify for the 2027 AFCON.
“If there is one person who takes the responsibility of the result, it’s me. If you want to blame and criticise, which is correct and right, you can question me as a coach. Please keep supporting your players,” he pleaded.
Queiroz was also asked about calls for him to resign. He said leaving his position would be an easy option, but he did not believe his departure alone would fix the wider problems facing Ghana football.
“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. I don’t have that belief. But that is a decision of the board of the Federation,” he said.
The coach also defended his record despite the defeat and said the result would not change his view of himself as a coach.
“I still have the top record of wins in international football. I am the coach in football with the most wins. And this defeat doesn’t make me a loser. This defeat makes me more alert for the lessons that we take.”
Queiroz also spoke about the number of players unavailable to Ghana because of injuries and other issues. He said the national team is dealing with an unusual injury situation and claimed that 24 players from the national A team are currently unavailable.
He mentioned injuries affecting important defenders such as Alexander Djiku, Antoine Semenyo, Mumin and Marvin, while also explaining that some players who are available cannot play a full 90 minutes.
The coach further pointed out that Ghana’s poor run did not begin with Tuesday’s defeat. He noted that the Black Stars have now gone eight competitive away games without a win.
Despite the disappointing result, Queiroz continued to maintain his belief in the Black Stars and said the team can find solutions to its current challenges.
“The Black Stars was never a problem. It is not a problem and it will never be a problem in the future, as far as we find the solutions to bring the team together,” he said…CONTINUE MORE SPORTS>>>
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