Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has taken full responsibility for Ghana’s shocking 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in their second Group C match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ghana surrendered a two-goal advantage at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday as The Gambia produced a remarkable comeback to secure their second consecutive victory in the qualifying campaign.
Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after defender Jerome Opoku was brought down inside the box following a corner kick.
Felix Afena-Gyan then doubled Ghana’s advantage six minutes later, curling a free-kick into the bottom-right corner to put the Black Stars in a commanding position.
The Scorpions, however, responded almost immediately. Gideon Mensah was penalised for a foul inside the box, allowing Mohamed Badamosi to step up and send goalkeeper Benjamin Asare the wrong way.
Omar Colley completed the comeback shortly before halftime when he equalised for The Gambia, leaving Ghana stunned after they had appeared firmly in control of the contest.
The visitors then completed their turnaround in the second half, with substitute Ebrima Colley capitalising on another defensive error from Gideon Mensah to put The Gambia 3-2 ahead.
Colley added his second goal in stoppage time to seal a memorable 4-2 victory for The Scorpions and leave Ghana still searching for their first win in the current qualifying campaign.
Queiroz Accepts Responsibility
Rather than directing criticism towards his players, Queiroz immediately accepted responsibility for the defeat after the game and urged supporters and the media to leave the squad out of the blame.
“It’s sad we lost and in this manner and I take responsibility for the defeat today. Nobody should blame the players because they gave their best to the team. Leave the players out of this. It is not their responsibility.”
Carlos Queiroz, Black Stars Head Coach
The Portuguese tactician reiterated that position when discussing Ghana’s failure to protect their two-goal advantage, making it clear that he viewed the outcome as his responsibility. “I am the coach and I am responsible for the team, for the organisation and for the result,” he said.
Queiroz also pointed to Ghana’s long list of absentees as a major challenge, claiming that as many as 24 first-team players were unavailable to contribute during the qualifying window, with around eight players sidelined through injury.
“It is very difficult to build a winning team when the A players are not available,” he explained, while insisting that the circumstances should not be used to shift blame onto those who featured against The Gambia.
Despite the setback, Queiroz maintained that he remains capable of turning Ghana’s fortunes around, pointing to his experience and record in international football.
“I have the experience, I have the knowledge and I have the record,” he said, stressing his belief that he can still deliver the job despite the difficult start to the campaign.
Ghana’s Qualifying Crisis Deepens
The defeat leaves Ghana without a win in their last eight AFCON qualifying matches, with their most recent victory coming against the Central African Republic in Kumasi in 2023.
The Black Stars had hoped to recover from their 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in the opening Group C fixture, but Tuesday’s collapse has instead intensified pressure on Queiroz and his team.
For The Gambia, the result represents a perfect start to the qualifying campaign. The Scorpions have now won both of their opening matches and sit in a strong position in Group C.
Ghana’s inability to hold a two-goal lead will be particularly concerning for Queiroz, whose side conceded four goals after initially establishing control of the match.
With the qualifiers still at an early stage, Ghana have time to recover, but the Black Stars will need a significant response in their upcoming fixtures if they are to revive their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFCON.
For now, Queiroz has made it clear where he believes responsibility for Tuesday’s collapse should rest: with him, rather than the players who suffered the defeat on the pitch.
Ghana will now travel to Tangier to face Morocco in an international friendly on Sunday, October 4.
Their next AFCON qualifying assignment will come in November in a double header against Somalia.
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