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Football coach Nana Agyemang says newly appointed Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz showed composure and media savvy during his unveiling, effectively “controlling the narrative” despite mounting pressure around Ghana football.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Pulse on April 24, Agyemang observed that the Portuguese manager remained calm and calculated throughout the high-profile press conference held a day earlier in Accra.
“He didn’t have any challenges in answering the questions. He wasn’t flustered at all… he was quite cool and very calm,” Agyemang said, adding that Queiroz skillfully redirected questions he preferred not to answer. “What he didn’t like to answer, he turned it around in his favour.”
The remarks come in the wake of Queiroz’s official unveiling on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, where the 73-year-old signed a short-term deal to lead Ghana to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Agyemang linked the coach’s measured media performance to the broader challenges facing Ghana football, arguing that Queiroz is fully aware of the structural issues within the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the declining state of the national team.
“Let me put it this way this man clearly recognises that he’s been employed by a football association that is basically in structural decline. The team has collapsed,” he stated.
He pointed to the timing of the appointment just weeks before the World Cup as further evidence of deeper systemic problems within the GFA, describing it as a “sad indictment” on the country’s football governance.
Despite this, Agyemang expressed cautious optimism about Queiroz’s approach, particularly his intention to blend his trusted technical team with local expertise.
The new coach is expected to work with existing Ghanaian staff, including Desmond Offei, Fatawu Dauda, and John Paintsil, while also introducing members of his own backroom team.
“I think he’s going to be his own man,” Agyemang noted. “He will rely on people he trusts but also take what is useful from the local coaches who have been around.”
He also welcomed signs that players from the Ghana Premier League could earn call-ups, noting that recent camps for the Black Galaxies suggest a renewed focus on locally based talent.
“Previously, we weren’t even looking at our local players, and that is worrying,” he said.
At his unveiling, Queiroz described the Ghana job as the biggest challenge of his career, stressing that his full attention is on the World Cup campaign.
Ghana will begin preparations with international friendlies against Mexico and Wales in early June before opening their tournament against Panama on June 17 in Toronto. The Black Stars will also face England and Croatia in what is expected to be a highly competitive Group L.
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