The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has started looking for a new head coach for the Black Stars after talks with Carlos Queiroz over extending his contract reportedly reached an impasse.
The veteran Portuguese coach was appointed in April on a short-term deal to lead Ghana towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. He replaced Otto Addo in the role.
Queiroz guided the Black Stars through their World Cup campaign, but his future has become uncertain after he made a series of demands as part of a proposed extension.
Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, said Queiroz was being paid $80,000 a month during his time in charge. Reports now claim the 73-year-old wants his salary increased to $150,000 per month if he is to continue as Ghana coach.
Queiroz is also reported to have asked for more foreign coaches to be added to his technical team. The request is understood to form part of his plans to maintain continuity while restructuring the national team’s coaching setup.
Those demands have made negotiations between Queiroz, the GFA and other stakeholders more difficult. As a result, the country’s football governing body has begun considering alternative candidates for the position.
Black Stars assistant coach Desmond Ofei has been named in multiple reports as one of the leading contenders to replace Queiroz if the Portuguese decides not to remain in charge.
Ofei has already worked within the national team’s technical structure and could be given responsibility for leading Ghana into their next competitive fixtures.
If Queiroz leaves and another coach is appointed, the change would represent the seventh head coach under GFA president Kurt Okraku’s administration since he took office.
The GFA is under increasing pressure to settle the issue before Ghana’s next major assignment: qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Black Stars are due to return to competitive action in September, when they begin their qualifying campaign. Ghana missed out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, increasing the importance of preparations for the next qualification cycle.
Ghana have been placed in Group C alongside West African rivals Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia. The challenging group, and the limited time before the qualifiers begin, have added urgency to the search for a permanent head coach.
The association must now decide whether to meet Queiroz’s financial and staffing demands or appoint a successor to oversee the Black Stars’ next campaign.
