Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has alleged that England midfielder Jude Bellingham directed offensive language at him during a heated half-time exchange in Tuesday’s goalless FIFA World Cup Group L clash.
The incident unfolded shortly before the interval after Bellingham’s robust challenge on Ghana defender Jerome Opoku sparked angry reactions from the Black Stars bench.
Television footage showed the England midfielder involved in a tense exchange with members of Ghana’s technical team before teammate Morgan Rogers intervened and escorted him away as the players headed for the dressing rooms.
Speaking after the match, Queiroz said he approached the situation to check on Opoku and urge Bellingham to calm down after the tackle.
“My intention was to tell him to cool down after the challenge,” Queiroz explained. “Our player was still on the ground and I wanted to make sure he was okay.”
However, the veteran Portuguese coach said the encounter quickly escalated.
“He reacted badly and used some inappropriate words, and that’s when the situation developed,” Queiroz said.
The 73-year-old also suggested Bellingham was lucky to avoid further punishment for the challenge.
“It could have been a second yellow card or even a red card. He clearly went through with his foot into our player,” he added.
Despite his criticism, Queiroz later played down the incident, calling it part of the emotions in high-stakes football.
“These things happen in emotional moments. One word caused some tension, but we calmed things down. It’s football, nothing extraordinary,” he said.
Bellingham also addressed the flashpoint after the match, admitting the tackle was mistimed.
“It was a silly challenge from me,” the England midfielder said. “I was trying to win the ball, followed through too much, and caught him. I spoke to the player afterward, but then their bench got involved.”
The confrontation was one of the few fiery moments in an otherwise tightly contested encounter that ended 0-0, leaving both Ghana and England on four points heading into their final Group L fixtures.
