Ghana coach fumes as 'VAR went for a coffee' in England draw
by Clifton Mabasa · KickOffGhana head coach Carlos Queiroz did not hide his frustration after his side's goalless draw with England in their second Group L match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night.
In a tense and hard-fought encounter, England enjoyed more possession and appeared the more dominant side for large periods, while Ghana relied on disciplined defending and looked to threaten on the counter-attack.
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Ultimately, the Black Stars and the Three Lions settled for a point that keeps their hopes of reaching the next round alive.
Queiroz furious over penalty decision
Despite being satisfied with the result, Queiroz was left angered by a late incident involving Ghana forward Prince Kwabena Adu, who was brought down inside the penalty area.
The former Bafana Bafana coach questioned the role of VAR after match officials waved play on and no penalty was awarded.
"I'm not sure if VAR is still working in the World Cup, we still have VAR, is it working? I have some doubts about that, because there was a clear penalty against England for Ghana," Queiroz told the media after the match.
"With our opportunity in the second half, I think at the end they're lucky, they're very lucky, once again VAR went for a coffee."
The Mozambique-born coach was adamant that it was a penalty.
"It was a clear penalty, a clear penalty, a red card, do you have any doubts about that? You guys that you saw the game, have any doubts about that, or it's only me that was in the game?"
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A fair result despite the controversy
While disappointed by the decision, Queiroz admitted that a draw was probably a fair reflection of the contest given the balance of play.
"So at the end of the day, that's why I say it was a fair result, it was a fair result, they play more time with the ball, we fight more, we fight better, we create our chances," he added.
"They have their chances, at the end, I think they are happy and I am happy also with the draw."
Every World Cup point must be earned
The experienced coach also stressed the value of every point at the tournament, praising his players for their effort and commitment against one of the favourites.
"To collect points in this World Cup, you have to pay a high price, the points are very expensive," he explained.
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"When you get three points and one point, you have to celebrate because it was a lot of runs, a lot of sacrifices, a lot of commitment during the game."