The shadow of Ghana's failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations loomed over the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, but Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz insisted after the September 24 clash that it is time for the nation to move on.
Speaking following Ghana's highly anticipated encounter with hosts Côte d'Ivoire on September 24, 2026, Queiroz addressed the psychological burden carried by the team and its supporters.
When pressed on what the current qualification campaign means for the nation's footballing future, Queiroz framed the match in Bouaké as a crucial step in healing.
"That's our job, to get rid of that trauma," Queiroz told reporters in Bouaké. "It looks like in Ghana we are living a drama that we did not qualify."
The veteran coach sought to put the recent disappointment into perspective, citing Italy's consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup as proof that missing out on a major tournament does not erase a nation's footballing heritage.
"The fact that you are a good team, a great nation of football, and one time you did not qualify, that doesn't mean you are going to lose your history, your reputation, or your prestige," he emphasized. "To lose one game doesn't make you a loser. It just means that you keep going, trying to win."
Queiroz, who is targeting qualification for the 2027 AFCON, described the fixture against Côte d'Ivoire as a clash of two very similar, attacking-minded teams and an immediate opportunity to prove that the Black Stars are back on track.
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