The Black Stars coach says Ghana must earn its place back among Africa’s best before talking about trophies.
Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has set out a two-track plan for Ghana's senior men's team: qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) now, and use the same period to build a squad capable of doing well at the 2030 World Cup.
The Portuguese coach made the comments in an interview with the official website of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the body that runs football in the country, ahead of Ghana's AFCON qualifying fixtures.
"Hands on the present, eyes on the future"
Queiroz framed the current period as the beginning of a new cycle for the national team.
"The priority is very clear: absolute focus on AFCON qualification, with our eyes set on the 2030 World Cup," he said, adding that the immediate task demands full concentration even as a bigger target sits further ahead.
He was quick to shut down any early talk of lifting the AFCON trophy, which Ghana last won in 1982. In his words, the team must "work, grow, compete and earn our destiny," and cannot discuss winning a tournament it has not yet qualified for. Ambition, he said, has to sit alongside humility.
An honest look at where Ghana stands
Queiroz was blunt about the gap between Ghana and the continent's strongest teams. Many of those sides, he pointed out, have settled squads filled with players who feature regularly in the UEFA Champions League, Europe's top club competition.
He described that as the competitive reality Ghana has to accept and the standard the team must chase. His prescription was effort rather than excuses: if Ghana wants to compete with the best, he said, working as hard as they do is not enough — the team must work harder and better.
Selection rules: play, and be fit
On how he picks players, Queiroz set out one guiding rule. Players must be in competitive action at their clubs, physically prepared and ready to play for the national team. That principle, he stressed, is fundamental to every squad he names.
The coach also reflected on Ghana's recent World Cup campaign, saying the experience helped him understand the character and quality inside the dressing room. He said he is proud to lead what he called a fantastic group with a strong national-team culture.
Why it matters
For Ghanaian fans at home and in the United States, the message is a reset of expectations. Qualification, not silverware, is the near-term measure of success, and Queiroz is signalling that squad choices will be based on club form and fitness rather than reputation.
Ghana's AFCON qualifying matches are next on the calendar, along with a friendly against Morocco, for which Queiroz has already named a 24-man squad.
Reported first by Ghanaian Times on 2026-09-18. This article was written for our readers based on that report. Follow the link for the original coverage.
