The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed that Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has submitted his squad list for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers for the local football governing body’s approval.

This was revealed by GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum in an interview over the weekend, noting that once the approval goes through, the GFA will then process the invitation letters for the selected players.

The list will first be reviewed by the GFA’s Management Committee before being forwarded to the Executive Council for final approval.

“Coach Carlos Queiroz has submitted his squad for the upcoming games, and it is currently going through the required processes,” Asante Twum said in an interview last week.

“It will first go before the Management Committee and then the Executive Council. Once all the necessary processes have been completed, invitations will be sent to the selected players.”

Mr Asante indicated that once the approval process is completed, the squad will be announced by the close of the week.

“Hopefully, the squad will be officially announced next week,” he added.

Queiroz is expected to lead Ghana into the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after finalising his deal as the new head coach of the national team.

The Black Stars have been drawn in a qualifying group alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia.

The former Portugal, Iran, Egypt, Colombia, Qatar and South Africa head coach will also be tasked with helping Ghana end its long wait for continental glory, with the country’s last AFCON title coming in 1982.

Ghana begin the next stage of their AFCON qualifying campaign away to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on 24 September before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium five days later.

The two matches represent some of Queiroz’s first competitive assignments as he attempts to guide the Black Stars back to the continental finals after they failed to qualify for the previous edition.

When was Queiroz appointed as coach?

The Portuguese coach took over from Otto Addo, who was dismissed after a poor run of form that included defeats against Austria and Germany in international friendlies on March 27 and March 30, respectively.

Queiroz’s contract was reportedly for a short period, from April to July, under a four-month agreement. An extension was expected to be subject to his performance at the global tournament.

He was officially unveiled on April 23 at the Alisa Hotel. His contract lasted just under four months, from April to July 2026.

He guided the team through the FIFA World Cup, recording one win, two draws and two losses across five matches.

In mid-July, it was reported that Carlos Queiroz was set to sign a new contract to extend his tenure with the Black Stars after receiving commendations and backing from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

The deal was reportedly expected to be signed after the Portuguese tactician was assessed following the World Cup. Despite the Black Stars’ elimination at the Round of 32, it was reported that authorities were satisfied with his record.