Queiroz backs Ghana despite 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire

Sports

BOUAKÉ, Côte d’Ivoire (NPA) — Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has expressed pride in his players despite the Black Stars’ 2–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in their opening Group C match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Speaking at the post-match press conference at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Queiroz praised his team’s fighting spirit and said Ghana created several attacking opportunities despite Côte d’Ivoire having greater possession.

Queiroz said Ghana had four clear opportunities to score but failed to convert them, adding that the result did not reflect the team’s attacking efforts.

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“In terms of possession, Côte d’Ivoire were better than us, but in terms of attacking penetration and creating opportunities, we were better,” he said.

The coach said he was particularly proud of the way his players responded to adversity during the match.

“I have to say that I am very proud of my team, very proud of my players — the way they fought, the way they played, the way they fought against adversity,” Queiroz said.

However, he criticised the referee’s decision to award Côte d’Ivoire a penalty, describing the decision as “a joke” after reviewing the incident on television.

“When we are 1-0 down and we fight for our chances, for our opportunities, somebody should not come in and make that decision,” he said.

Queiroz stressed that his criticism was directed at the officiating and not at the Ivorian team.

“Côte d’Ivoire played very well, all the players played very well and congratulations, but I cannot give the congratulations to them alone, it also goes to the referee because today it’s against us, tomorrow it could be against Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.

The Ghana coach also questioned the absence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the AFCON qualifiers, saying the technology could help referees make better decisions.

“Why don’t we have VAR in an Africa Cup of Nations competition? Which example do we want to give to the world?” he asked.

Queiroz said the second goal made it more difficult for Ghana to recover, adding that his team had to focus on preparing for the next fixture.

“Of course, to recover from 1-0 down is completely different from recovering from 2-0 down,” he said.

He said the defeat would not affect the team’s morale or confidence, stressing that Ghana would now concentrate on recovering and preparing for the next home match.

“This result will not affect our morale and our belief in our players. It doesn’t affect absolutely anything,” he said.

Queiroz attributed the first goal to a brilliant strike from outside the box but acknowledged that Ghana failed to cover the space adequately in the build-up.

He also identified missed opportunities by Augustine, Benjamin and Sibo as moments that could have changed the game.

The coach said Ghana adopted a more vertical attacking approach and made tactical changes after Benjamin and Felix were introduced, but the team needed to improve its finishing.

“We have to improve in that department, to improve our ability to score because this is another game that we did not score,” he said.

Queiroz also expressed confidence ahead of the return fixture in Accra, saying Ghana would seek to level the head-to-head record between the two sides.

He urged his players to recover quickly and focus on winning their next match.

“Now it’s just recovery. We lost one player during the game, but now it’s just to recover our players and be focused for the next game and win the next game at home,” he said.

Queiroz concluded by saying his comments were intended to defend his players and provide his assessment of the match rather than discredit Côte d’Ivoire.

“My comments here are the expression of a coach who has the duty to defend his team. I was polite, as you know. I was not offensive to anybody. I just have the right to say when there is a mistake,” he said.