Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz has defended his criticism of the referee's penalty decision in the Black Stars' 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast, insisting his comments were not intended to diminish the hosts' performance. The match was played at the Stade de Bouaké, where Brighton forward Malick Yalcouyé and captain Franck Kessié scored for the Elephants. Queiroz emphasized that his comments were focused on the referee's mistake, not the quality of Ivory Coast's players.
The Black Stars opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a disappointing defeat. Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was adjudged to have fouled Yalcouyé, leading to the penalty kick that sealed Ivory Coast's victory. Queiroz stressed that recovering from a 2-0 deficit would be challenging for his team. The Portuguese coach acknowledged that Ivory Coast fully deserved credit for their display.
The defeat marked a tough start for Ghana, who are bidding to return to the AFCON finals after missing the previous edition. This was the first time in over two decades that Ghana failed to qualify for the tournament. Queiroz described the encounter as another closely fought chapter in the long-running rivalry between the two West African nations.
Queiroz highlighted the tight nature of the game, citing the history of close matches between Ghana and Ivory Coast. The coach mentioned that the result was now history and that his immediate priority was ensuring his squad was ready for their next assignment. Ghana will host The Gambia in their second Group C fixture on September 29.
During the match, Ghana suffered an injury setback, losing one player. Queiroz said his focus was on recovering his players and preparing them to win the next game at home. The coach emphasized that they would prepare the players as much as possible to secure a win in their upcoming match.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged that Ghana lacked the finishing spark to turn the game around. He stressed that improving scoring would be crucial for Ghana in their future matches. Queiroz expressed confidence in his team's abilities and vowed to work on their finishing skills.
Ghana's loss to Ivory Coast has put them at the bottom of Group C. The Black Stars will seek to bounce back and secure their first points of the qualifying campaign against The Gambia. Carlos Queiroz's comments on the referee's decision have sparked debate, but he remains focused on his team's next match and their chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON.
Key points
- Carlos Queiroz defends criticism of referee's penalty decision in Ghana's 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast.
- Ghana coach emphasizes need to improve scoring ahead of next match against The Gambia.
- Ghana loses to Ivory Coast in 2027 AFCON qualifier, seeks first points against The Gambia on September 29.
