Carlos Queiroz accused referee Mustapha Ghorbal of altering the balance of Ghana’s 2-0 defeat by Cote d’Ivoire in their opening Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying match.
The Black Stars were beaten in Bouake after goals from Malick Yalcouye and Franck Kessie, with the latter converting a penalty that gave the hosts a two-goal advantage.
Queiroz was particularly critical of the decision to award the spot-kick, which he believes came when Ghana were still capable of recovering from a 1-0 deficit.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was penalised for a challenge on Yalcouye inside the Ghanaian penalty area. Algerian referee Ghorbal pointed to the spot and Kessie made no mistake, putting Cote d’Ivoire firmly in control.
After watching the incident again on television, Queiroz did not hide his anger.
“This penalty is a joke. The penalty is a joke. I have just seen it on television,” said the Portuguese coach after the match.
He argued that the timing of the decision was as significant as the award itself, as Ghana were still fighting to get back into the game.
“We were losing 1-0. I don’t think Cote d’Ivoire needed the referee to come into the game and create an unbalanced situation,” Queiroz added.
The Ghana manager said he was trying to remain “calm and polite” despite his frustration, but maintained that his team had been competing for a result before the penalty.
“We were still fighting for our chances,” he said, describing the incident as a major turning point in the match.
The comments represent a strong criticism of Ghorbal, one of Africa’s most experienced referees.
The defeat leaves Ghana bottom of Group C after the first round of fixtures, with no points. Cote d’Ivoire move to the top of the group after their 2-0 home victory.
Ghana, who were without several of their star players, must now recover quickly. Their next fixture is against The Gambia in Accra on 29 September, when Queiroz’s side will already be under pressure to avoid a poor start to their qualifying campaign.
The coach suggested that the controversy surrounding the match could have consequences beyond Ghana’s defeat in Bouake.
“Today, it is us; tomorrow, it will be Cote d’Ivoire,” he said.