Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana’s players deserve praise for their commitment and effort despite their 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Ghana lost in Bouaké on September 24, but Queiroz believes the result did not reflect the attitude and determination shown by his players, some of whom had limited time to prepare for the game.
“Some of our players had just 16 minutes of training. I know the result was not good, but we have to praise the boys,” Queiroz said ahead of Ghana’s next qualifier against The Gambia.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged that Ghana were not satisfied with the performance or result, but insisted the players had shown courage and made sacrifices despite the difficult preparations.
He also pointed to the team’s limited preparation time, saying some players arrived shortly before the match and had little opportunity to train together.
Queiroz says the focus must now shift to the meeting with The Gambia, as Ghana look to respond to their opening defeat and get their qualifying campaign back on track.
