Carlos Queiroz Slams VAR After Ghana’s Draw With England

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz launched a scathing attack on the match officials after his side’s 0-0 World Cup draw with England, insisting two major second-half incidents were wrongly ignored despite the presence of VAR.

The Black Stars boss was left furious after referee decisions involving England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender Ezri Konsa went unpunished, with Ghana convinced both challenges on forward Prince Adu warranted stronger action.

The first contentious moment came in the 66th minute when Pickford collided with Adu outside the penalty area. Queiroz argued the challenge was severe enough to merit a straight red card.

Ghana’s frustrations deepened later when Konsa appeared to bring down Adu as the striker broke through on goal. The incident sparked immediate protests from the Ghana bench, but neither the referee nor VAR intervened.

Former England striker Wayne Rooney also questioned the decision, suggesting Konsa had taken a significant gamble.

“He gets the man, not the ball,” Rooney said, describing it as a “huge risk”.

Speaking after the match, Queiroz questioned whether VAR was functioning at all during the decisive moments.

“Is VAR still working at the World Cup?” the Ghana coach asked reporters. “Do we still have VAR? I have my doubts.”

He then added: “The VAR referee was on vacation second half, apparently.”

Continuing his criticism, Queiroz said: “Once again, the VAR went for coffee,” before joking, “It’s a clear penalty and a red card [on Konsa]. Do you have any doubts about that, or as it only me who was at the game?”

Despite their frustration, Ghana remain well placed in Group L, sitting second ahead of their final group-stage fixture against Panama on Saturday.