By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 30, 2026

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has defended his record in international football after the Black Stars suffered a 4–2 defeat to The Gambia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana appeared to be in control after building a two-goal advantage, but The Gambia mounted a comeback and scored four times to take all three points. The result leaves Ghana without a point from their opening two Group C matches, following an earlier 2–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire.

Carlos Queiroz: Gambia defeat does not make me a loser

Speaking after the match, Queiroz rejected the suggestion that the defeat had defined him as a coach.

“I’m still the coach with the record for most wins in international football. This result doesn’t make me a loser,” Queiroz said.

The Portuguese coach also addressed calls for his resignation following the disappointing start to Ghana’s qualifying campaign.

Queiroz said he would be prepared to resign if the Ghana Football Association believed his departure would provide a solution to the wider problems facing Ghanaian football. However, he maintained that his resignation alone would not resolve those issues.

Carlos Queiroz faces pressure after Black Stars collapse against Gambia

The defeat represents Ghana’s second consecutive loss in the qualifiers. The Black Stars have also now gone eight AFCON qualifying matches without a victory, according to reports following Tuesday’s match.

Queiroz’s position remains under scrutiny as Ghana attempt to recover from their difficult opening fixtures. The GFA retained the Portuguese coach for a new mandate in September after his initial contract following the 2026 World Cup had expired.

Black Stars suffer another AFCON setback as Queiroz defends his record

For Ghana, the immediate challenge is to rebuild momentum in the remaining qualifying matches. The Black Stars missed the 2025 AFCON and are now seeking to secure a place at the 2027 tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

By KPD News Online | September 30, 2026

Morocco have cancelled their planned international friendly against Ghana, which had been scheduled for October 4, 2026, at the Grand Stade de Tanger in Tangier.

The cancellation comes shortly after Ghana’s disappointing start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, including a 4–2 defeat to The Gambia in Accra on September 29. The result followed Ghana’s earlier defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké.

Black Stars face another setback after Morocco friendly is cancelled

The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that the friendly will no longer take place. However, the GFA has not publicly stated the reason for the cancellation. Henry Asante, the association’s communications director, confirmed to Moroccan outlet Hesport that Ghana had informed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation that the match was cancelled and thanked the Moroccan side for its understanding.

Reports published before the formal confirmation had linked the cancellation to an internal dispute involving outstanding financial payments to Ghana players. Those reports also suggested that some players were unwilling to travel to Morocco. The claim has not been publicly confirmed by the GFA, which has declined to give details on the reason for the cancellation.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions prepare for another international challenge

The Morocco friendly had originally been included in Ghana’s international window after the Black Stars’ AFCON qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia. CAF had confirmed the October 4 fixture as part of Ghana’s schedule, with Carlos Queiroz expected to use the match to assess his squad against one of Africa’s leading national teams.

For Morocco, the cancellation means the Atlas Lions will now have to consider alternative arrangements for the October international window. Morocco had already begun its own 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, with the team scheduled to face Gabon and Lesotho during the opening rounds.

Carlos Queiroz faces fresh questions after Ghana’s AFCON qualifying defeats

Ghana’s immediate attention now turns to the consequences of the difficult opening round of AFCON qualifying. The Black Stars have suffered defeats against both Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving the team facing pressure to recover in the remaining matches of the qualification campaign.

Coach Carlos Queiroz had previously acknowledged concerns over player availability and squad continuity, saying frequent changes had made it difficult to establish a settled national-team core.

The cancellation therefore removes what was expected to be another competitive test for Queiroz as he continues rebuilding the Black Stars squad.

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 30, 2026

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has apologised to Ghanaian supporters after Ghana surrendered a two-goal lead and suffered a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana appeared to be in control after Ernest Nuamah converted a penalty in the 27th minute, before Felix Afena-Gyan doubled the advantage six minutes later with a free-kick.

The visitors, however, responded before half-time. Mohamed Badamosi pulled one back from the penalty spot before Omar Colley equalised, sending the two teams into the break level at 2-2.

The collapse continued after the interval. Ebrima Colley put The Gambia ahead after capitalising on an error by Ghana captain Gideon Mensah, before he scored again in stoppage time to complete the 4-2 victory.

Carlos Queiroz apologises after Ghana’s defeat to The Gambia

Queiroz takes responsibility

Speaking after the match, Queiroz accepted responsibility for the result and asked supporters not to direct the blame at his players.

“I take the responsibility for this result. Please leave the players, because it’s not their responsibility. They tried their best.”

He also apologised directly to Ghanaian supporters, saying he, his technical staff and the players were deeply disappointed by the outcome.

The Portuguese coach also acknowledged that Ghana’s defensive problems contributed to the defeat. He said conceding twice in the first half affected the team’s confidence and made it difficult for the players to perform as expected.

Black Stars surrender two-goal lead at Accra Sports Stadium

Ghana left without a point

The defeat leaves Ghana without a point from their opening two Group C matches after the Black Stars also lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in their opening qualifier.

The result also extended Ghana’s winless run in AFCON qualifying to eight matches, according to reports following the game.

Queiroz said the situation requires a broader review, pointing to the fact that Ghana’s poor run did not begin with the defeat to The Gambia.

The coach has also previously highlighted the number of unavailable players and injuries affecting his squad, although he stressed that these circumstances should not be treated as an excuse for the result.

Queiroz takes responsibility for Black Stars’ 4-2 loss

A difficult road ahead

Ghana’s defeat represents another setback in the Black Stars’ attempt to return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the 2025 tournament.

Queiroz, who was reappointed as Ghana coach earlier this month after initially stepping down following the 2026 World Cup, now faces renewed questions about how he and his team can turn around the national side’s results.

Despite the disappointment, the coach said he intends to learn from the defeat, describing his approach as: “You win or you learn.”

For Ghana, attention now turns to the remaining fixtures in Group C, with the Black Stars needing to recover points and address the defensive weaknesses exposed against The Gambia.

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | Sports | 28 September 2026

Asante Kotoko have ended their association with South African coach Eric Tinkler, with the club confirming that he has been released from his contract with immediate effect.

The announcement came on Monday, 28 September 2026, one day after Kotoko suffered a 2–0 home defeat to Aduana FC at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in a Ghana Premier League Matchday 4 fixture.

Tinkler’s Kotoko chapter ends after four league matches

Tinkler leaves after four league matches

Tinkler was appointed Kotoko’s head coach in July 2026 as the club prepared for the 2026/27 campaign. The club’s announcement at the time highlighted his CAF A Licence, more than three decades of elite football experience and previous work with clubs including Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United, Cape Town City and Maritzburg United.

His tenure at Kotoko lasted only four league matches. According to 3News, his record consisted of one victory, two draws and one defeat.

His first league victory came against Heart of Lions on 13 September, when Kotoko won 2–1.

Asante Kotoko players at Baba Yara Sports Stadium

Club cites personal reasons

Reports on the club’s statement say Tinkler requested to be released from his duties for personal reasons. The Board of Directors said discussions were held in an attempt to prevent the separation, but both sides ultimately agreed to respect his decision.

The departure therefore follows a relatively short coaching period rather than an announcement that he had been dismissed specifically because of Sunday’s defeat.

The Porcupine Warriors face another coaching transition

What happens next?

Kotoko are now faced with a coaching transition early in the new Ghana Premier League season.

The club has indicated that its technical structure will continue working toward the team’s sporting objectives while plans for the next phase of the coaching setup are developed.

Kotoko’s next league fixture is against Karela United, with the match scheduled for Thursday at Baba Yara Stadium. Tinkler will not be on the touchline for that game.

A short chapter comes to an end

Tinkler arrived in Kumasi with substantial experience in South African and continental football. At the time of his appointment, Kotoko described him as a coach with extensive top-flight experience and a distinguished playing career, while Tinkler said he was looking forward to building a team capable of competing domestically and internationally.

Less than three months later, that project has ended.

The immediate focus for Asante Kotoko will now be maintaining continuity within the team while the club determines its next coaching arrangement.

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 28, 2026

UYO, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Super Eagles began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a 2–1 comeback victory over Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday.

Madagascar took an early lead, but Nigeria recovered through debutant George Ilenikhena just before half-time before another debutant, Moses Usor, completed the turnaround in the second half.

Madagascar strike first

Nigeria started the match looking to control possession and create early opportunities, but Madagascar produced the opening goal in the 16th minute.

Ehsan Kari headed Madagascar ahead after the visitors worked a short-corner routine and created space inside the Nigerian penalty area. The goal forced the hosts to chase the game in front of their home supporters.

Nigeria appeared to have equalised earlier through Alex Iwobi, but the effort was ruled out after Akor Adams was penalised for a foul on Madagascar goalkeeper Geordan Dupire.

Ilenikhena restores parity

Nigeria eventually found its breakthrough in first-half stoppage time.

George Ilenikhena, making his senior international debut, connected with a pass from Alex Iwobi before finding the net to make it 1–1 at the interval.

The equaliser changed the atmosphere inside the stadium and gave Nigeria a renewed opportunity to take control of the match after a difficult opening period.

Usor completes the comeback

Nigeria continued to apply pressure after the restart and eventually moved in front in the 65th minute.

Moses Usor, another player making his Nigeria debut, received the ball on the right, drove forward and cut inside before firing a low shot into the net.

The goal put Nigeria ahead 2–1 and completed the comeback.

Three points for Chelle’s side

The victory gives Nigeria three points from their opening Group L fixture.

Head coach Éric Chelle subsequently explained that Nigeria had to adjust its approach after Madagascar adopted a compact defensive shape, making it difficult for the Super Eagles to penetrate through the centre.

The result also came with Nigeria missing striker Victor Osimhen, who was unavailable because of injury.

Madagascar’s defeat means Nigeria avoided dropping points at home in the opening match of a qualifying campaign that includes Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania in Group L. Guinea-Bissau began its campaign with a 2–0 victory over Tanzania.

Next challenge: Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria’s qualifying campaign continues on Tuesday, September 29, when the Super Eagles travel to face Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau also collected three points in its opening fixture, making the upcoming encounter an important early Group L meeting.

For Nigeria, the comeback in Uyo provides a winning beginning to the road toward AFCON 2027, but the team will now have to carry that momentum into an away fixture against a Guinea-Bissau side that also started its campaign with a victory.