The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams has said he wanted a change in the Black Stars technical team even before Ghana completed the unsuccessful 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.

Adding, he said he now supports a two-year contract for head coach Carlos Queiroz as talks over his future continue.

Speaking in a radio interview on Accra based 3FM on Tuesday (July 14, 2026), Mr Adams said he had wanted the coaching change to happen earlier but accepted that the decision could not be taken by the government alone because the Ghana Football Association (GFA) also had to agree.

"If I had my own way, this would have happened even before we concluded our campaigns towards the qualification," he said.

Mr Adams explained that the GFA preferred to complete the qualifying campaign before assessing the team's performance and deciding on the way forward.

He said both sides later agreed on the coaching change, although he believed the decision came later than he would have liked.

He said the timing gave Queiroz little time to prepare the Black Stars before the FIFA World Cup, as the Portuguese coach had only a short period to work with the squad after taking charge.

Reflecting on Ghana's World Cup campaign, Mr Adams said expectations had been modest before the tournament because the Black Stars had failed to qualify for AFCON 2025 and, as a result, missed the chance to build momentum through competitive matches.

Although Ghana exited the tournament at the Round of 16 stage, he described the campaign as "a fair success", saying the team performed better than many people had expected.

Queiroz's contract expires this month, and Mr Adams said discussions on the coach's future had reached an advanced stage.

While stating that he was not the final decision-maker and that negotiations were still ongoing, Mr Adams said views gathered from stakeholders showed there was wide support for the Portuguese coach to remain in charge.

"The feeling is that we should give him the opportunity to stay a bit longer and that he has proven that a coach matters and he can do a job if given the time to do so," he said.

Asked whether he supported a longer-term deal, Mr Adams said he agreed with those proposing a two-year contract to give the national team continuity through the next AFCON campaign.

"If we have to give him, I would also join those who are calling for two years," he said, adding that current discussions were centred on the terms of a new agreement.

Mr Adams declined to comment on the financial details of the proposed contract, saying negotiations were still in progress and the terms would be announced once both parties reached an agreement.