Roger De Sa confirms Ghana move to join Carlos Queiroz ahead of World Cup

Former South Africa international Roger De Sa has confirmed he will join Carlos Queiroz as assistant coach of Ghana, with the pair set to reunite ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

De Sa revealed he will arrive in Accra this week to begin work with the Black Stars.

“I will fly out on Thursday to Accra to start working straight away. It’s all it is, we will do the best we can, there is no mandate to win this and that,” he told KickOff.

“The job is to go to the World Cup and fly the Ghanaian flag as high as possible.”

He added that Queiroz’s appointment came together quickly following the departure of the previous coach.

“I think when the previous coach left, the Ghana FA looked at Carlos Queiroz, and obviously it happened very quickly. Within four to five days, it was done,” he said.

De Sa and Queiroz have built a long working relationship over the years. He served as goalkeeping coach during Queiroz’s time with South Africa, before later becoming his assistant with Egypt, where they guided the team to a second-place finish at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

The duo also worked together with Iran at the 2022 World Cup, and are now set to continue their partnership with Ghana as preparations intensify for the tournament.

Queiroz was appointed in April on a four-month contract, reportedly earning around $100,000 a month, with a clear mandate to lead Ghana to the 2026 World Cup and deliver a strong performance.

The Black Stars have endured a difficult run, with four consecutive defeats leading to the dismissal of Otto Addo during the March international break. Ghana suffered a 5-1 loss to Austria before falling 2-1 to Germany in pre-World Cup preparatory matches.

Drawn into a challenging group, Ghana’s decision to appoint an experienced figure like Queiroz reflects a clear attempt to steady the team ahead of the tournament. The former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United has been given the freedom to assemble his own backroom staff, with De Sa among his trusted allies.

The Ghana Football Association believes that with his preferred technical team in place, Queiroz can guide Ghana to a competitive showing at what will be their fifth World Cup appearance.

Ghana will open their campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before facing Croatia and England in the remaining group matches.

Before the tournament, Queiroz will also be tested with friendly fixtures against Mexico and Wales.

By Enoch Fiifi Forson