Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has called for greater efficiency in front of goal after the Black Stars opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké. The match took place at the Stade de la Paix on Thursday, with Malick Yalcouyé breaking the deadlock shortly before half-time and Côte d'Ivoire captain Franck Kessié converting from the penalty spot in the second half to secure all three points for the hosts.
The Black Stars struggled to maintain possession for extended periods as the Ivorians exerted considerable control during parts of the contest. Despite this, Queiroz believes his team created sufficient opportunities to find the net and should have taken advantage of them. The Portuguese coach explained that Ghana adopted a more direct attacking approach, using vertical movements to attempt to penetrate the Ivorian defensive line.
Côte d'Ivoire took control of the contest shortly before the interval when Yalcouyé produced the opening goal in the 44th minute. The Brighton midfielder's strike gave the Elephants a 1-0 advantage heading into the break. The hosts then doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Kessié converted a penalty after Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was penalized for a challenge involving Yalcouyé inside the Ghana penalty area.
The decision to award the penalty became one of the major talking points after the match, with Queiroz publicly questioning the award and subsequently calling for the introduction of Video Assistant Referee technology in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. Despite falling two goals behind, Ghana continued searching for a response and made several attacking substitutions during the second half.
Benjamin Tetteh, Felix Afena Gyan, and Augustine Boakye were introduced as Queiroz attempted to increase the team's attacking threat. The Black Stars continued to register attempts during the closing stages, although they were unable to breach the Ivorian defense. Felix Afena Gyan headed wide in the 87th minute, while further efforts from Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Augustine Boakye, and Afena Gyan failed to find the target.
The defeat leaves Ghana without a point after the opening Group C fixture and places additional importance on the Black Stars' forthcoming encounter with The Gambia. Ghana are scheduled to face the Scorpions in Accra on Tuesday as the team attempts to recover from its unsuccessful opening fixture and begin accumulating points in the qualifying campaign.
Queiroz has therefore identified attacking efficiency as one of the immediate areas requiring attention before the home encounter. His assessment is consistent with the match record, which shows Ghana creating opportunities but failing to score, while Côte d'Ivoire converted its decisive moments into goals. The qualification campaign carries added significance for Ghana after the Black Stars failed to reach the previous Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Key points
- Ghana's Black Stars lost 2-0 to Côte d'Ivoire in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign opener.
- Coach Carlos Queiroz called for greater efficiency in front of goal after the match.
- Ghana's next match is against The Gambia in Accra on Tuesday.
