REVEALED: Why Black Stars' friendly game against Morocco has been called off

Ghana have cancelled their proposed international friendly against Morocco after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) withdrew the Black Stars from the 4 October fixture in Tangier.

The match had been scheduled as part of Ghana's preparations during the October international window, but the GFA informed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation of its decision following the Black Stars' 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The withdrawal came before Ghana's second Group C qualifier against The Gambia, which the Black Stars subsequently lost 4-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.

• Why Ghana withdrew

The GFA told its Moroccan counterparts that the Black Stars' technical team was struggling to assemble a squad for the friendly because of a number of player withdrawals.

Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Mohammed Kudus and Nathaniel Adjei were among those unavailable for the October camp.

The association also cited outstanding winning bonuses owed to the players and said it did not want to add to its financial commitments by taking on another fixture.

In a statement, the GFA confirmed that the friendly had been called off after consultations with the Moroccan federation.

"The Ghana Football Association (GFA) wishes to inform the general public that the international friendly between Ghana and Morocco has been called off.

"The decision was reached following consultations between both Federations. The GFA sincerely apologises to all stakeholders, fans and media partners for any inconvenience the cancellation may cause."

The GFA said it would announce new arrangements for the Black Stars as part of preparations for the remaining AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

The cancellation means Ghana played only two matches during the October international window, despite having initially had the opportunity to play four.

The GFA had also previously raised concerns over honouring a proposed friendly against Tanzania during the same window.

• Morocco arrange Mali friendly

The cancellation reportedly disappointed the Moroccan Football Federation, with the fixture already announced and tickets having gone on sale.

Morocco had planned to use the match as preparation for its upcoming competitive fixtures.

Following Ghana's withdrawal, Morocco confirmed that it would instead face Mali on 4 October.

• Queiroz leaves Black Stars

The cancellation came as the GFA announced that it had mutually agreed to part ways with Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz.

The Portuguese coach was appointed to lead Ghana through preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The GFA said the decision was taken in the "best interests of Ghana, the Black Stars and Ghanaian football".

"Both parties agreed that under the present circumstances, ending the professional relationship was the most appropriate course of action," the association said.

The GFA thanked Queiroz and his technical staff for their work and said it would announce the next steps concerning the leadership of the national team.

Queiroz also confirmed his departure, saying the decision followed discussions held in a spirit of mutual respect.

"Despite our commitment and efforts, the necessary conditions were not fully established, and our recent performance added to the decision to bring this journey to an end," he said.

The 73-year-old also called on Ghanaians to continue supporting the players.

"Believe in these players. Protect them. Support them," Queiroz said.

"The talent and potential are there. With unity, support and the right environment, this generation can achieve great things for Ghana."

• Ghana face uphill AFCON qualifying task

Queiroz leaves after seven matches in charge of the Black Stars, recording one win, two draws and four defeats.

His final game was Tuesday's 4-2 defeat by The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The result leaves Ghana bottom of Group C without a point after two matches.

The Black Stars opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast before suffering another loss against The Gambia.

Ghana are next scheduled to face Somalia in a double-header in November as they seek to revive their qualifying campaign.

The GFA must now decide on its next coaching arrangements as Ghana attempt to recover from a difficult start to their bid to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.