AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Carlos Queiroz Appears to Blame Referee for Ghana’s Defeat to Côte d’Ivoire

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  • Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday
  • Carlos Queiroz singled out a second-half penalty decision, saying it created an unfair advantage for the hosts
  • The Black Stars now face pressure to respond against The Gambia after their opening qualifier loss in Bouaké

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Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has taken aim at the match officials following the Black Stars' 2-0 loss to Côte d'Ivoire in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Thursday, September 24.

Goals from Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié gave the Elephants a comfortable victory, but Queiroz reserved his sharpest criticism for the penalty awarded to the hosts that allowed Kessié to convert and double their lead.

Carlos Queiroz breaks silence after Ghana’s defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, appearing to blame the referee for his side's downfall. Photo credit: Photo by Odd Andersen/Getty and @GhanaBlackstars/X.
Source: Getty Images

Queiroz questions penalty decision

Speaking after the final whistle, the Portuguese coach made his displeasure clear, describing the spot-kick as unjustifiable.

Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana: 5 Things We Learned From Black Stars’ AFCON 2027 Qualifier DefeatGhana lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in their 2027 AFCON qualifier, exposing five key concerns over the Black Stars’ midfield woes, finishing and Queiroz’s tactics.24 Sep 2026

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"That penalty, it's a joke. The penalty is a joke. I just saw it on the television," Queiroz said, as quoted by 3news.

He argued that Ghana was working their way back into the contest when the decision was made and that the referee's intervention disrupted any chance of a comeback.

Watch the controversial penalty against Ghana, as shared on X:

"Because I need to be quiet and polite. It was 1-0 down, 1-0 down. I don't think that Ivory Coast needed the referee to come inside the game and create an unbalanced situation," the coach added.

Queiroz went further, suggesting the intervention of the referee was the decisive factor rather than any failings from his side.

"You guys who can see the television, it is a joke. It is a joke, that penalty. And when we were 1-0 down and we fought for our chances, we fight for our opportunities, comes somebody that should not play and make unbalanced the game," he said.
Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana: Why Black Stars Travelled to Bouaké in Military Aircraft for AFCON 2027QGhana’s Black Stars fly to Bouaké on a Ghana Air Force aircraft for their AFCON 2027 qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire, recalling Ghana’s 2017 travel crisis.24 Sep 2026

Ghana faces uphill task in Group C

The opening-game defeat leaves Ghana with early ground to make up in their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Queiroz's side will need to regroup ahead of their upcoming Group C fixtures - a home tie against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29, per Flashscore.

Any result aside from victory against the Scorpions would be detrimental to the country's chances of securing qualification.

5 takeaways from Ghana's loss to Côte d’Ivoire

Earlier, YEN.com.gh took a look at five things Ghana’s loss revealed about the Black Stars.

One of them was the midfield pairing of Kwasi Sibo and Caleb Yirenkyi, who struggled to make an impact as Côte d’Ivoire dominated the game.

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Source: YEN.com.gh