'Korean bench fist incident' Caires, led Ghana to hold England... 'Strong contender' for World Cup Round of 32 just two months after taking charge

*This content was translated by AI.

Carlos Caires (73, Portugal), who took charge of the Ghana national football team just before the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, led Ghana to two consecutive draws in the tournament. Caires, who had a history of conflict with Korea, was known for throwing a fistful of dirt toward the Korean bench after a victory during his tenure as head coach of the Iran national team.

On the 24th (Korea time), Ghana recorded a 0-0 draw against England in the Group L second match of the tournament held at Boston Stadium in the United States. FIFA rankings show Ghana at 73rd and England at 4th.

Ghana, facing a clear disadvantage in overall strength, adopted a strategy focused on defense and looking for a counterattack, managing only their first shot in the 5th minute of the second half. Although they failed to score against England, they secured a valuable point by conceding only one goal despite allowing as many as 19 shots.

Earlier, in the Group L first match against Panama, Ghana had also maintained a tight 0-0 balance before securing a 1-0 victory with a dramatic late goal. With 4 points (1 win, 1 draw), Ghana remains in second place in the group, just one goal behind England (4 points) in terms of goal difference.

In this tournament, not only the top two teams from each group but also the top eight third-placed teams among the 12th groups will advance to the Round of 32 tournament. Ghana's 4 points are considered sufficient to secure a spot in the Round of 32 even if they drop to third place in their group, making their advancement from the group stage highly likely.

If Ghana advances to the Round of 32, it will be their first appearance in the tournament knockout stage since the 2010 South Africa World Cup, a span of 16 years. Ghana was eliminated in the group stage at both the 2014 Brazil tournament and the 2022 Qatar tournament.

The bold decision to replace the head coach just two months before the World Cup opening appears to have paid off. The Ghana Football Association dismissed head coach Otto Addo in March due to poor results and subsequently appointed Caires. At the time, Caires had been left without a team after his contract with the Oman national team was terminated, and he took charge just two months before the World Cup began.

Since then, Caires led the Ghana national team to victory in their first World Cup final match just two months after taking charge, and today he succeeded in holding back England, a "World Cup favorite."

Caires, who began his coaching career in 1989, led the Iran national team from 2011 to 2019. During his tenure as Iran's head coach, he was particularly known for his deep conflicts with Korean football, including sharp press conferences and the controversial incident of throwing a fistful of dirt toward the Korean bench. In particular, during the final qualifying round for the 2014 Brazil World Cup held in Ulsan in 2013, he became the center of controversy for unsportsmanlike behavior, such as throwing a fistful of dirt toward the Korean bench, including head coach Choi Kang-hee.

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*This content was translated by AI.