By OkayGoal 
Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Fred Pappoe, has expressed optimism that newly appointed Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz is the right man to steer the national team through a demanding World Cup campaign.
Queiroz, who replaces Otto Addo on a short-term four-month contract, was officially unveiled on Thursday at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, marking the start of a high-pressure assignment ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking to SuperSport Blitz after the unveiling, Pappoe acknowledged the tight timeline Ghana faces in preparing for the tournament but insisted the Portuguese tactician has the experience and temperament needed for the task.
“We are in a situation where we had to appoint a coach in less than three months before the start of the World Cup, but we are there,” he said.
“Men are meant to solve problems, so I believe Carlos Queiroz is the man for the situation we are in now. He is a mature person with a pedigree, someone who has confidence, realistic, who commands respect and above all, he is humble, and these are important things to me.
Pappoe, a former Black Stars Management Committee chairman, added that Queiroz’s profile makes him well suited for the challenge and urged unity and support around the new coach.
“He appears well-suited for the job and the situation we are in, so we all have to pray that he succeeds,” he said.
Queiroz is expected to begin work immediately, with Ghana lined up for preparatory friendlies against Mexico next month and Wales on June 2 as part of their build-up to the tournament.
The Black Stars head into the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama.
Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 before taking on England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.
With early exits in both the 2014 and 2022 tournaments still fresh in memory, expectations are high for a stronger performance this time, as Queiroz takes charge of a team under renewed scrutiny and pressure to advance beyond the group stage for the first time in years.