‘That penalty is a joke’ — Queiroz rejects referee decision in Ghana’s loss to Côte d’Ivoire

Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz has criticised the officiating in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké, describing the penalty awarded to the hosts as “a joke”.

The decision came in the second half and allowed Côte d’Ivoire to double its advantage, leaving Ghana with a more difficult task of mounting a comeback.

“That penalty is a joke. I just saw it on television,” Queiroz said after the match.

“When we are 1-0 down, and we fight for our chances, for our opportunities, somebody should not come in and make that decision.”

The Portuguese coach also expressed concern over the absence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Queiroz questioned why VAR technology was not being used in a competition he described as the biggest football tournament on the continent.

“Why don't we have VAR in an Africa Cup of Nations competition? Which example do we want to give to the world?” he asked. “The Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are for the biggest competition on the continent, and we don't have VAR to help the referee make the game fair.”

Despite his criticism of the penalty decision, Queiroz made it clear that his comments were not directed at Côte d'Ivoire or its players.

“My comment about the mistake of the referee has nothing to do with Côte d'Ivoire. It has nothing to do with the merit or the quality of the players of Côte d'Ivoire,” he said.

The Black Stars coach maintained that the timing of the penalty made a major difference, arguing that Ghana would have had a better opportunity to respond if the deficit had remained at one goal.

According to Queiroz, going two goals behind significantly increased the difficulty of recovering from the setback.