Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku says the Black Stars are close to appointing a new head coach, with the process now awaiting only the signing of formal paperwork.
The senior national team has been without a permanent manager since Carlos Queiroz’s short-term contract ended after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Queiroz, the experienced Portuguese coach, was appointed earlier this year on a four-month deal, replacing Otto Addo before the tournament in North America. Under Queiroz, Ghana reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2010.
The GFA is now working to complete the appointment before the team reunites next month for the opening fixtures of its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
“Ghana will have a coach before we regroup. The coach who will lead the Black Stars is 99% in place. The coach who will lead the Black Stars is already working,” Okraku told 3Sports.
He said negotiations had reached their final stage, with the remaining work focused on completing the formal arrangements between the federation and the unnamed coach.
“We are just at that last line where we have to sign papers and formalise the relationship. We have machinery in place; we are working,” he said.
Okraku did not disclose the identity of the incoming manager. That leaves open the possibility that Queiroz could continue in the role, although the GFA may instead have chosen another candidate.
The new coach will be tasked with maintaining the progress made during Ghana’s latest World Cup campaign and helping the four-time African champions challenge for further continental success.
Ghana have not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1982. Their route towards the 2027 tournament will begin with a difficult Group C fixture away to Ivory Coast.
That match is scheduled to take place on 24 September 2026 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
The Black Stars will also play Somalia and The Gambia in the qualifying group. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Ghana’s next coach will therefore be expected to settle quickly into the position, with the first competitive assignment coming soon after the team’s planned regrouping. Okraku’s comments indicate that the GFA wants the appointment concluded before preparations begin in earnest for the qualifying campaign.
The federation has not yet provided a date for the official announcement or confirmed whether the coach has already begun working with the national team. For now, Okraku says only the final paperwork stands between the Black Stars and the confirmation of their new head coach.
