Ghana’s Black Stars have two immediate gaps to fill: the leadership of their coaching team and the next opportunity to prepare together. On October 1, 2026, the Ghana Football Association confirmed that it and Carlos Queiroz had agreed to end his head-coach contract. In a separate announcement, the association confirmed that the international friendly against Morocco would no longer take place.
The GFA describes the coaching departure as a mutual agreement following discussions. Its statement thanks Queiroz and his staff and says further technical arrangements will be announced. That wording matters: the published announcement establishes the end of the relationship but does not identify a successor, disclose a financial settlement or set out the terms of a future appointment.
A difficult start to qualifying
The change follows defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia in Ghana’s opening two qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana News Agency’s October 1 report says those results left the four-time African champions without a point. It is an uncomfortable start rather than a completed qualification verdict, and the next coaching team inherits the task of improving performances as well as results.
In his own farewell statement, published by the GFA and covered by Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Queiroz said the conditions he considered necessary for the project had not fully developed and acknowledged that recent performances contributed to the decision. These are his explanations, not an independently established account of responsibility inside the association. He also asked supporters to continue backing the players and expressed confidence in their potential.
The October 4 fixture is off
The Morocco match had been scheduled for Sunday, October 4, according to the GFA’s earlier squad announcement. The cancellation statement says the two federations consulted before reaching their decision, apologises to supporters and media partners, and promises new arrangements. It does not give a detailed cause. The timing alone therefore cannot establish that the coaching departure caused the fixture to be cancelled.
For fans arranging their weekend around the game, the useful update is straightforward: the October 4 fixture in the earlier schedule has been withdrawn. A replacement opponent, date and venue are not supplied in the cancellation notice. The GFA says revised plans will form part of preparations for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers; supporters should wait for those details before relying on an older fixture announcement.
What supporters should watch next
The next substantive developments will be the association’s technical leadership announcement and its revised preparation programme. Those decisions will show how Ghana intends to respond to the qualifying setbacks. Until then, the confirmed record is narrower than the speculation around it: Queiroz’s tenure has ended by agreement, the Morocco friendly is off, and the GFA has committed to explaining what follows.
