In football, success often creates impatience instead of patience.
That may sound contradictory, but that is exactly where Ghana finds itself after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Before Carlos Queiroz arrived in April, few Ghanaians believed the Black Stars would even survive the group stage. Memories of the disastrous 2022 World Cup and the turbulence that followed under Otto Addo were still fresh. Confidence was at its lowest. Many expected another short, disappointing campaign.
Instead, Ghana reached the knockout stages for the first time since 2010.
The Black Stars beat Panama, frustrated England in a disciplined goalless draw, and advanced to the Round of 32 before narrowly losing to Colombia. It was not a perfect tournament, but it was one that restored belief in the national team.
Now comes the big question: should Ghana move on, or should Carlos Queiroz stay?
For me, the answer is simple.
He must stay.
1. He delivered what many thought was impossible
Queiroz inherited a team in crisis.
He had barely two months to prepare a squad that had suffered heavy friendly defeats, public criticism and uncertainty after Otto Addo’s departure.
Yet within weeks, Ghana looked like an entirely different team.
The Black Stars became organised, disciplined and extremely difficult to beat. They conceded very few clear-cut chances and competed against some of the world’s strongest sides.
The goalless draw against England perfectly illustrated the transformation.
England dominated possession, completing more than 600 passes while Ghana managed fewer than 170. Yet the Black Stars remained compact, disciplined and frustrated one of the tournament favourites from start to finish.
That was not luck.
It was another example of what Queiroz has built throughout his managerial career.
With Iran, he transformed Team Melli into one of Asia’s most respected sides, qualifying for three consecutive World Cups and narrowly missing out on the knockout stages in 2018 after competing brilliantly against Spain and Portugal.
With Egypt, he guided an unfancied squad all the way to the Africa Cup of Nations final, eliminating Ivory Coast, Morocco and hosts Cameroon before losing only on penalties to Senegal.
In Colombia, he built one of the tournament’s strongest defensive units at the Copa América, while South Africa comfortably qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup under his leadership.
Everywhere he has gone, Queiroz has made teams more competitive than many expected.
Ghana was no different.
2. Continuity is exactly what the Black Stars need
For years, Ghanaian football has suffered from one recurring problem.
Whenever results disappoint, the coach changes.
Every new manager starts from scratch.
Every new appointment introduces another philosophy, another tactical identity and another rebuilding process.
The cycle never ends.
Queiroz offers an opportunity to break that cycle.
For the first time in years, there appeared to be genuine structure inside the Black Stars camp.
Players understood their roles.
The team defended together.
There was visible discipline and tactical clarity.
Most importantly, supporters began believing again.
That cannot be ignored.
Instead of another reset before the next Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in september , Ghana should build on the foundation that has already been laid.
Successful national teams rarely change coaches after signs of progress.
They continue building.
3. Ghana finally became difficult to beat again
Perhaps the greatest improvement under Queiroz was not attacking football.
It was defending.
Before his arrival, Ghana often looked vulnerable whenever opponents attacked with speed or quality.
Let’s take a look at the most apparent improvement of the squad , which is defence , before Carlos Queiroz came into the picture
- Otto Addo – First Stint (Feb/May 2022 – Dec 2022, ~12 matches)Overall Record: 4 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses (win rate 33.3%)., the Black stars were leaky in the tournament (conceded in all 3 games). No strong overall clean sheet data across the full stint, but the team showed mixed organization.
Coaches Between Addo’s Stints
- (Late 2022 – Early 2024)Chris Hughton (Head Coach, ~Feb/Mar 2023 – Jan 2024, 13 matches):Record: 4 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses (win rate ~30.8%).
Took over after Addo’s resignation post-2022 WC. Ghana exited at the group stage of the 2023 AFCON under him, leading to his sacking. Defensive stats were middling; the team had inconsistent results without standout clean sheet runs reported in summaries.
- Otto Addo – Second Stint (Mar 2024 – Mar 2026, 22 matches)Overall Record: 8 wins, 5 draws, 9 losses (win rate ~36.4%).
Goals: Scored 35, conceded 28 (average ~1.27 goals conceded per game) hence the overall Addo Career with Ghana (Both Stints): 34 matches, 12 wins, 8 draws, 14 losses.
Queiroz immediately changed that mentality.
His teams defend with compact lines, disciplined midfield screening and collective responsibility.
Against England, the Black Stars barely allowed space between the lines.
Against Panama, they remained organised despite periods of pressure.
Even in defeat against Colombia, Ghana stayed competitive until the final whistle.
The improvement was obvious.
Of course, there is one area where Queiroz must improve.
Goals.
Ghana scored only three goals throughout the World Cup, and there were moments when the attack lacked creativity and ambition.
Defensive organisation alone will not win tournaments.
If Queiroz stays, he must find a better balance between defensive solidity and attacking freedom.
That should be his next challenge.
But solving one weakness is far easier than rebuilding an entire team from scratch.
My two cents
Carlos Queiroz was never hired as a long-term project.
He was hired to rescue Ghana.
He did exactly that.
He restored belief.
He restored organisation.
Most importantly, he restored respect.
Changing coaches now would risk undoing all the progress made over the past few months.
The Black Stars have finally rediscovered an identity.
The Ghana Football Association should not throw that away.
Extend his contract.
Back his vision.
Then judge him after the next Africa Cup of Nations.
Sometimes the smartest decision in football is also the simplest one.
Carlos Queiroz must stay, mustn’t he?
