The Ghana Football Association (GFA) acted swiftly following the Black Stars’ early elimination from the group stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. On Tuesday evening, it announced the dismissal of coach Chris Hughton.
“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, a statement said. The Executive Council has taken the additional decision to dissolve the entire Black Stars coaching staff. The Ghana Football Association expects to release in the near future a plan detailing the future direction of the national team.”
Ghana’s disappointing performance at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations came to a head with their defeat by Cape Verde (1-2), followed by frustrating draws against Egypt (2-2) and Mozambique (2-2), which were marked by glaring defensive errors. Following the results in Group C, it was confirmed that the Black Stars, winners of the competition four times, had been definitively eliminated, with no hope of qualifying among the best third-placed teams for the Round of 16.
The debacle led to the sacking of Chris Hughton, who was already under pressure before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations and had been the target of criticism from fans after the defeat to Cape Verde. Hughton, who had previously served as technical adviser to Otto Addo during the 2022 World Cup, had been appointed coach in February 2023. His unconvincing management of the team ended with a record of four defeats, two wins and two draws from eight matches.
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