Carlos Queiroz has questioned the penalty decision that contributed to Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the opening Group C match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Black Stars were beaten at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, with the second goal coming from the penalty spot after Ghana had remained within reach of the hosts.
Queiroz described the penalty decision as a serious mistake and said it changed the nature of the contest.
“That penalty is a joke,” the Ghana coach said during his post-match press conference after watching the incident again on television.
He stressed that his criticism was directed at the decision and not at the Ivorian team, whom he credited for their performance.
According to Queiroz, recovering from a one-goal deficit would have been different from trying to come back from two goals down.
The coach also questioned why Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was not available during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
He said the competition is one of the biggest on the continent and argued that VAR could provide additional support to referees in important matches.
“Why don’t we have VAR in an Africa Cup of Nations competition?” Queiroz asked. “Why don’t we have VAR in Africa?”
Despite his concerns, the Portuguese coach said Ghana must now put the result behind them and concentrate on the next match.
He also praised Côte d’Ivoire and made it clear that his comments about the referee were not intended to take away from the hosts’ performance.
Queiroz believes the rivalry between the two countries remains competitive and is already looking ahead to the return fixture in Accra.
