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Ghana turns to veteran Carlos Queiroz as coach just weeks out from World Cup

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — World Cup-bound Ghana appointed Carlos Queiroz as the new men’s national coach on Monday, less than two months out from the tournament.

“Coach Queiroz begins work immediately,” the Ghana Football Association said in a statement.

Ghana opens its World Cup campaign in Group L against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, then faces England outside Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia.

The Black Stars also have warmups against Mexico on May 22 and Wales on June 2.

“This is not just another job — it is a mission,” Queiroz said in a statement on the GFA website. “And I am ready to give everything of my experience and knowledge once again, in service of the game and the happiness of People.”

Queiroz was chosen from more than 600 local and foreign applications because of his extensive World Cup experience.

He qualified South Africa for the 2002 World Cup, guided his native Portugal to the knockout phase in 2010, and coached Iran at the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Queiroz was most recently in charge of Oman, which failed to qualify for the World Cup. He stepped down three weeks ago.

He’s replaced Otto Addo, who was fired on March 31 after four straight losses in warmup games.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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