Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz believes key moments at either end of the match proved decisive as the Black Stars opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Ivory Coast.
The four-time African champions suffered defeat at the Stade de Bouaké on Wednesday, with Brighton forward Malick Yalcouyé giving the hosts a first-half lead before captain Franck Kessié wrapped up victory from the penalty spot after the break.
Reflecting on the result, Queiroz highlighted Yalcouyé's opener as a turning point in the contest.
"The difference was the first goal of Cote d'Ivoire," the Portuguese coach said after the match.
"The player had a brilliant strike from outside the box. We missed our one-on-one positioning to cover the space in that moment, but he had a fantastic strike, and we went into the break 1-0 down."
Ghana struggled to recover after falling behind and saw their task become more difficult when Kessié converted from the spot in the second half.
Queiroz suggested the second goal effectively ended his side's hopes of mounting a comeback.
"I will talk about the second goal again because the second goal was what changed everything and made the difference," he added.
The defeat leaves Ghana searching for their first points in Group C as they attempt to secure a return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on qualification for the previous edition.
The Black Stars have since returned to Accra, where preparations are already underway for Tuesday's qualifier against The Gambia.
Queiroz and his players will be eager to respond quickly and avoid a second successive setback as they look to revive their campaign and keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 finals on track.
Failure to qualify for the last AFCON ended Ghana's run of more than two decades of consecutive appearances at the continental showpiece, adding further significance to their current qualifying campaign.
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