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

Spain marked its first home match since winning the 2026 World Cup with a convincing 4-1 victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday, September 29, with Lamine Yamal producing a decisive performance in Seville.

Yamal opened the scoring after just 75 seconds, continuing the impressive start he made in Spain’s previous Nations League match against England. Croatia responded in the 28th minute when Dion Beljo headed in Ivan Perisic’s cross.

Yamal leads Spain’s World Cup homecoming celebration

Spain quickly restored its advantage. Yamal delivered a cross that Marc Pubill converted with a header in the 31st minute, giving Pubill his first international goal.

The Barcelona forward added his second goal in the 63rd minute, collecting a pass inside the area before finishing from a tight angle. Nico Williams then completed the scoring in the 89th minute to seal Spain’s 4-1 win.

Spain’s Lamine Yamal celebrates his second goal

The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 40 matches and maintained its perfect start to Nations League Group A3. Spain now has six points from two matches, while Croatia remains on three points.

The occasion also carried symbolic significance for the Spanish team. Before kick-off at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, captain Rodri displayed the World Cup trophy to the home supporters after it was presented by former Spain international Jesús Navas. It was Spain’s first match on home soil since lifting the World Cup in July.

World champions Spain return home with convincing Croatia victory

Yamal’s performance also added to the attention surrounding his Ballon d’Or campaign, with voting having closed before the match and the winner scheduled to be announced on October 26.

Spain will next face the Czech Republic on Saturday, while Croatia is scheduled to host Spain in the following round of Group A3 fixtures.

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

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz says he would be willing to resign if his departure would genuinely help resolve Ghana’s football problems, but he does not believe his resignation alone would address the wider challenges facing the country’s football.

Carlos Queiroz faces questions over his future as Ghana coach

Queiroz made the comments after Ghana suffered a 4–2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The result came after Ghana surrendered a two-goal advantage and left the Black Stars without a point from their opening two Group C matches.

Responding to questions about his future after the defeat, Queiroz said: “If my resignation will be the solution for Ghana football, I’d be the first one to resign.” He added that the decision over his position should be left to the Ghana Football Association.

The Portuguese coach was brought back by the GFA in September after initially leaving the position following Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. The GFA said his continuation followed consultations with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

Carlos Queiroz faces questions over his future as Ghana coach

Pressure grows after consecutive defeats

Ghana began the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with a 2–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering the 4–2 loss to The Gambia in Accra. The Black Stars are therefore yet to record a point in Group C, which also includes Somalia.

The latest result has intensified questions surrounding the team’s coaching setup and preparations for the remaining qualifiers.

Queiroz, however, has maintained that removing the coach should not automatically be viewed as a solution to Ghana’s broader football difficulties.

His comments come less than a month after the GFA confirmed that he would continue as Black Stars coach. The decision followed his World Cup campaign, during which Ghana reached the Round of 32 before losing 1–0 to Colombia.

Queiroz watches on as Ghana’s AFCON campaign faces early pressure

A difficult AFCON qualification campaign

Ghana missed the 2025 AFCON and is now attempting to secure qualification for the 2027 tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Before the qualifying campaign began, Queiroz described the AFCON as an important step toward rebuilding the Black Stars and preparing the team for the 2030 World Cup.

The immediate challenge is now to recover points in the remaining Group C fixtures while the GFA considers the team’s performance and the coach’s position.

For now, Queiroz has left the decision over his future with the federation, while insisting that his departure should not be presented as the sole answer to Ghana’s football problems.

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.