Carlos Queiroz has been reappointed head coach of the Ghana national football team for an interim period, the Ghana Football Association confirmed this week. The news comes alongside a proposed major tourism sponsorship deal with Premier League club Sunderland, which officials say is privately funded.
Their recent form shows three consecutive losses, including a 1-0 defeat to Colombia on July 4, and they are three points behind group leaders England.
The GFA announced Queiroz's return on Wednesday, stating the 73-year-old Portuguese coach would begin his new mandate with the upcoming international window in late September. Queiroz stepped down just two months ago after guiding the Black Stars to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. The association cited his "extensive international experience, technical expertise and knowledge of the Black Stars" as key reasons for his reappointment.
Queiroz's immediate task will be to prepare Ghana for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ivory Coast next month. His return provides continuity for a squad that has struggled for results lately, managing only two draws in its last five matches. The team has scored just two goals while conceding the same number in their current qualifying campaign.
A separate development involves a proposed partnership to place the 'Visit Ghana' tourism brand on Sunderland's shirts. The deal is reportedly worth around £10 million, though this figure has not been officially confirmed by the Ghanaian government or the club. Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin announced the initiative in August, describing it as a private-sector-led project.
Bagbin told Parliament that discussions with the Premier League side were at an advanced stage. "We are entering a formal engagement with them to put Visit Ghana on their jerseys and all paraphernalia," he said. He was emphatic that Parliament was not financing the sponsorship, stating the main sponsor came from the private sector with support from the GFA and relevant ministries.
Reports that Ghana is committing £10 million annually from public funds are inaccurate. Officials clarified that the project has been described from the outset as a private sector initiative. Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness suggested on a podcast that the deal could be worth around £10 million, but his comments were presented as an estimate.
No official confirmation of the financial value has been made by Sunderland or Ghanaian authorities. The clarification from officials aims to address public debate in Ghana about the use of state resources for such a marketing partnership, which follows a trend of African nations using football sponsorships for tourism promotion.
Queiroz returns to a squad handling a challenging period. The team's recent form is a concern, and they will be without winger Kamaldeen Sulemana for the immediate future due to injury. The coach's experience in managing international teams through transitional phases will be tested quickly.
His first matches back will be the home and away qualifiers against Ivory Coast scheduled for the September 21 to October 6 international window. Securing positive results in those games is important for Ghana's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and improving upon their current third-place group standing.
