Newly appointed Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to arrive in the country this week accompanied by five members of his backroom staff, as the Black Stars step up preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 73-year-old Portuguese tactician takes charge on a short-term deal following the dismissal of Otto Addo, whose tenure ended after consecutive friendly defeats to Austria and Germany in March.

Queiroz’s appointment signals a significant restructuring behind the scenes. Sources indicate that Winfried Schäfer has been relieved of his duties as technical advisor and Ghana Football Association (GFA) director of football. Former Ghana international John Paintsil has also been dismissed from his role as high-performance coach.

Further changes are expected within the technical team, with additional staff likely to step aside to make room for Queiroz’s trusted personnel.

The veteran coach is due to be officially unveiled later this week before being formally introduced to Sports Minister Kofi Adams, in line with government protocol.

Attention will then quickly turn to the pitch, with Ghana scheduled to face Mexico and Wales in friendly matches on 2 June as part of their final preparations for the World Cup.

Drawn in Group L, Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on 17 June, before taking on England and Croatia in their remaining group fixtures.

Queiroz brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously led South Africa to qualification for the 2002 World Cup, guided Portugal to the knockout stages in 2010, and managed Iran at both the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Ghana will be hoping his experience can provide much-needed structure and stability as the four-time African champions aim to improve on disappointing early exits in recent World Cups.