Head coach of the Black Stars, Carlos Queiroz, has questioned the penalty awarded to Côte d'Ivoire in their win over Ghana on Thursday evening.

The Black Stars fell to a 2-0 defeat against the Elephants in their opening game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying series.

Queiroz felt his team was hard done by the call of the referee in the second half, which resulted in the Ivorians wrapping up all three points in Bouake.

The referee pointed to the spot after Malick Yalcouye went to ground following an attempt to win the ball by Abdul Fatawu Issahaku in the box.

"That penalty is a joke. I just saw it on television. For those of you who can see it on television, it is a joke. When we are 1-0 down and we fight for our chances, for our opportunities, somebody should not come in and make that decision," Queiroz said at his post-match press conference.

"In the end, there is nothing to do about it. Côte d'Ivoire played very well; all the players played very well, and congratulations, but I cannot give the congratulations to them alone; it also goes to the referee because today it's against us; tomorrow it could be against Côte d'Ivoire."

With defeat in the opening game, the Black Stars will now turn their attention to the game against Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29.