Carlos Queiroz willingly resigned after Black Stars' loss to The Gambia - Sources

Carlos Queiroz has stepped down as Ghana coach following the Black Stars' difficult start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Portuguese coach decided to leave his position rather than being dismissed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), according to a trusted source.

Queiroz took charge of Ghana in April after replacing Otto Addo, initially agreeing to a short-term contract to lead the Black Stars through the 2026 World Cup.

He subsequently remained in charge for the start of Ghana's AFCON qualifying campaign, but his tenure has now ended after successive defeats to Ivory Coast and The Gambia.

Ghana began their Group C campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in Bouake before suffering another setback against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Black Stars surrendered a two-goal lead in the second half to lose 4-2, leaving them bottom of Group C after two rounds of matches.

Queiroz is understood to have apologised to the players following the defeat by The Gambia and taken full responsibility for the team's results.

The 73-year-old then communicated his decision to step down to the GFA.

Queiroz's departure is also expected to bring an end to the tenure of his backroom staff, which includes his assistant coach, nutritionist, conditioning coach, goalkeeping coach, video analyst and kit manager.

His seven-match spell in charge of Ghana ended with one win, two draws and four defeats.

Despite the difficult start to the AFCON qualifiers, Queiroz had previously guided Ghana to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, helping the Black Stars reach the last 16 for the first time since the 2010 tournament.

The GFA will now begin the process of appointing a new head coach ahead of Ghana's next AFCON qualifying fixtures in November.

The Black Stars are scheduled to face Somalia in back-to-back matches as they attempt to revive their qualification campaign and avoid missing out on another Africa Cup of Nations tournament.