Carlos Queiroz refuses to quit despite Ghana's shocking AFCON defeat

The Black Stars suffered a 4-2 defeat to Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, leaving them without a point from their opening two Group C matches.

The result came after Ghana had already suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in their opening qualifier, increasing the pressure on Queiroz and his technical team.

Asked whether he would consider stepping down, the Portuguese coach acknowledged that resignation would be the easiest option but insisted it would not necessarily address the wider issues facing Ghanaian football.

"When results like this happen, the option to resign is the most easy solution. If you believe that with the coach resigning you can change the situation of football in Ghana, I will be the first one to resign," Queiroz was quoted by GhanaSoccernet.

"I don't have that belief, but that is a decision that should be for the board of the federation to analyse and decide with me. I am capable of doing the job. Whether we have the conditions or not, that is something different."

Queiroz also refused to allow the defeat to change his approach, saying the setback should instead provide lessons for the team ahead of the remaining qualifiers.

"This defeat doesn't make me a loser. This defeat makes me more alert for the lessons that we take from the games and what we have to do in the future, with me or without me," he said.

The 73-year-old stressed that his focus remains on learning from the result rather than dwelling on the loss.

"And in my life I have always had one approach, very simple, in football. Some coaches, they admit they lose," he said.

"I don't ever admit that I lose. I have a result that was not positive. But for me, you win or you learn."

Ghana surrendered a 2-0 lead against Gambia before conceding four goals. Queiroz believes the setback must motivate the team to improve.

"The result, we cannot make it a step back. But what we can do is to be better prepared, better organised for the next games and win the next games."

Meanwhile, following their disappointing start to the AFCON qualifiers, Ghana were scheduled to play an international friendly against Morocco on Sunday, but the Moroccan Football Federation reportedly cancelled the fixture and they will now take on Mali.