Bento and Queiroz the frontrunners as Ghana close in on new head coach

[p]The search for a new manager comes in the wake of the departure of Otto Addo, who was relieved of his duties following a disappointing run of results in the March friendlies. [/p][p]With just over 60 days to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Black Stars find themselves in a race against time to secure leadership ahead of the tournament in North America.[/p][p]The GFA is understood to be prioritising a short-term appointment, a coach who will lead the team through the World Cup before a longer-term decision is made. The approach allows the federation to assess performance on the biggest stage before committing to a permanent project.[/p][embed guid="998b94c7-521a-4e32-84c3-2fc26f31c944" url="https://x.com/_owurakuampofo/status/2041628356475589062?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Sources indicate that the FA has held extensive discussions with both Bento and Queiroz, with officials particularly impressed by the depth of experience each candidate brings to the role.[/b][/p][p]Bento, a former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] international, boasts significant international pedigree. He managed the Portugal national football team between 2010 and 2014, guiding them to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.[/p][p]More recently, he led the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/K6Gs7P6G/"]South Korea[/a] national football team to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup.[/p][p]Queiroz, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of the most experienced international coaches in modern football.[/p][p]The former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a] national football team boss has also coached the Portugal national football team and had a stint as assistant manager at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.[/p][p][b]Crucially for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a], he has prior experience on the African continent, having managed the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] national football team, where he led them to the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and a World Cup play-off.[/b][/p][p]That familiarity with African football is believed to be a major factor in his favour, with GFA officials reportedly impressed by his ability to adapt to the unique demands of the continent.[/p][p]Another high-profile name mentioned in discussions is Fernando Santos, the former Portugal head coach who famously led his country to victory at Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.[/p][p]While his candidacy remains less advanced, his track record at major tournaments has not gone unnoticed.[/p][p][b]The GFA is expected to finalise the appointment process this week, with plans to name a new head coach by Friday.[/b][/p][p]Whoever takes the job will inherit a Ghana team placed in Group L alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/OWKqbCfi/"]Panama[/a]. The task for the new coach will be to guide the Black Stars out of the group stage, something Ghana have failed to achieve in their last two World Cup appearances.[/p][image alt="Owuraku Ampofo" id="345f5fd0-6a26-4f45-8078-6462582c5da7" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="85332569-9fdc-4d89-a538-b43ed56d6158" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]