5 member committee set up to find next Black Stars Coach

A five-member committee has been tasked to find a new head coach for the senior national football team, the Black Stars.

The committee has up to Friday, October 9, 2026, to submit its recommendations to the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The committee was constituted by the GFA and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation following last week’s departure of Carlos Queiroz, who left the position on October 1, 2026, after the two parties reportedly mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, announced the formation of the committee in a social media post on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as part of efforts to rebuild confidence in Ghana football.

Former GFA Vice-President Fred Pappoe will chair the committee, which has less than a week to complete its assignment.

The other members are former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah, former Ghana international and Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) General Secretary Anthony Baffoe, football administrator and legal practitioner Agbesi Dzakpasu, and high-performance specialist Faisal Chibsah.

The appointment follows a meeting between the GFA and the Ministry in Accra on Friday, October 2, 2026, to discuss measures to address concerns over the performance and management of the country’s national teams.

The search for a new coach comes at a difficult time for the Black Stars, who have lost their opening two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.

Ghana lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire away from home before suffering a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium. The loss to The Gambia came after the Black Stars had taken a two-goal lead.

The results have left Ghana without a point at the bottom of Group C, which also includes Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia.

The team’s recent failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON has added to the pressure on the authorities to appoint a coach capable of improving its fortunes.

The next two qualifying matches are scheduled for the November international window, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) setting November 9 to 17, 2026, for Matchdays 3 and 4.

Beyond appointing a new coach, the Ministry and the GFA have agreed on measures to address concerns about player development and the management of the national teams.

Under the proposed measures, the next Black Stars coach will be required to live in Ghana and regularly monitor the domestic league. The authorities also intend to strengthen the scouting of locally based players and widen the pool of players available for national team selection.

The plans include changes to youth development, with the GFA Technical Directorate expected to work more closely with schools, grassroots programmes and football academies. A Public Interest Committee is also expected to monitor the implementation of the reforms.

In his Saturday post, Mr Adams said the committee’s work was intended to help “rebuild confidence in our football”.

The committee’s recommendations are expected by October 9, as the GFA and the Ministry seek a successor to Mr Queiroz ahead of Ghana’s next AFCON qualifying matches.

As promised, I will keep you updated on the steps we are taking to rebuild confidence in our football.
The Ministry and GFA have constituted the following committee:
Fred Pappoe – Chairman
Anthony Baffoe – Member
Stephen Appiah – Member
Faisal Chibsah – Member
Agbesi Dzakpasu, Esq. – Member
The committee will assess and recommend the next Black Stars coach, with its report due by Friday, 9 October 2026.
Your love for Ghana football drives this work. Together, we can rebuild a team that makes us proud.

Source: Graphic