The Ghana Football Association has appointed veteran Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz as head coach of the national team, known as the Black Stars, with just under two months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off. The announcement, made on Monday, tasks the 73-year-old with quickly restoring stability and confidence to a side that has endured a turbulent few months ahead of one of football's most demanding stages.

Queiroz takes over from Otto Addo, who was dismissed in late March following four consecutive defeats, including heavy losses to Austria and Germany. The poor run of results raised serious concerns about Ghana's readiness for the tournament, which begins on 11 June across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Black Stars have been placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama — a challenging draw that leaves little room for error.

The newly appointed coach brings an unusually rich World Cup pedigree to the role. He helped South Africa qualify for the 2002 tournament, guided Portugal to the knockout stage in 2010, and took Iran to three successive World Cups in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Earlier this year he came close to a fifth consecutive appearance, only missing out when Oman failed to qualify in October. His broader career includes stints with Egypt, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Qatar, as well as a brief and turbulent spell at Real Madrid. He also served as assistant manager at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, widely regarded as one of the most successful eras in English club football.

Queiroz will have limited time to implement his ideas before Ghana's opening match against Panama on 17 June in Toronto, followed by fixtures against England and Croatia. In a statement released after his appointment, he described the role in personal terms: