Carlos Queiroz has made qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations the immediate objective for the Black Stars, insisting Ghana cannot afford another absence from the continental tournament.
The Portuguese coach takes charge of Ghana’s latest qualifying campaign after the Black Stars endured a disappointing 2025 qualification process, finishing bottom of their group without recording a victory.
That failure brought an end to Ghana’s impressive run of 10 successive AFCON appearances, with the team missing the tournament staged in Morocco.
Ghana have been drawn alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia in Group C, setting up a demanding route back to the competition.
“Our journey now is to have our hands in the present. We have to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but at the same time we have our eyes on the future,” Queiroz said.
The Black Stars will open their campaign away against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday before returning to Accra to welcome The Gambia on September 29.
Elsewhere in the group, The Gambia are scheduled to meet Somalia on Friday, while Somalia will host Côte d’Ivoire on September 29.
Only the top two sides from Group C will secure places at the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
While Queiroz is also working towards building a squad capable of competing in future tournaments, the coach has made it clear that Ghana’s first assignment is to end the recent qualification setback and book a place at the next AFCON.
“We have to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations,” he reiterated, highlighting the importance of Ghana making a successful start to the new qualifying campaign.