Reporting Live – Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
Chris Hughton, the head coach of Ghana’s senior men’s national team, has been dismissed following the country’s shocking elimination in the group stage of the ongoing 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, ALNSports reports.
The West Africans took just two points from their three Group B matches, and their slim hopes of progressing as one of the four best third-placed teams were extinguished on Tuesday with Mauritania’s shock victory over Algeria in Bouaké.
“The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the senior National team with immediate effect,” read a GFA statement.
“The Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”
Hughton’s backroom staff — including former Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng, ex-Black Stars keeper Richard Kingston, and Didi Dramani — have all also been let go by the federation.
“The Executive Council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars,” the statement concluded.
Sixty-five-year-old former Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Hughton took over as national team boss in February 2023, having served as the federation’s technical advisor for the previous year.
He occupied in this role during the 2022 World Cup, as Ghana were eliminated in the group stage, supporting head coach Otto Addo before replacing him soon after the tournament in Qatar.
However, Hughton, whose father was Ghanaian, has overseen a disappointing Nations Cup campaign for the four-time champions.
The former Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion trainer’s tenure as head coach of the West Africans faced criticism, mainly due to the team’s significantly poor concentration levels.
The Black Stars’ inability to sustain focus and Hughton’s subpar in-game management contributed to conceding six goals in three games during the competition.
Adding to the disappointment, the four-time African champions, who were on the brink of qualification with six minutes remaining in their final game against Mozambique, surrendered a 2-0 lead, resulting in a frustrating 2-2 draw.
