Sports
Morocco cancel Ghana friendly after Black Stars’ AFCON setback
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.