Ghana Sacks Coach Chris Hughton Following AFCON Exit

Ghana Sacks Coach Chris Hughton Following AFCON Exit

Abidjan (AFP) – Ghana has taken the decision to sack coach Chris Hughton after the national team’s disappointing early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cape Verde in their opening match in Ivory Coast. They followed this with draws against Egypt and Mozambique, which resulted in their elimination from Group B on Tuesday.

Chris Hughton, the former Tottenham defender and manager of Newcastle and Brighton, was appointed as Ghana’s coach in February 2023. However, following the team’s poor performance in the tournament, the Ghana Football Association announced his immediate dismissal.

In a late Tuesday statement, the federation said, “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. The Executive Council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars.”

The federation added that it will provide a roadmap in the coming days for the future direction of the Black Stars.

Ghana, who reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010, also faced an early exit in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage. Joining them in elimination were former champions Algeria, while the tournament hosts, Ivory Coast, are on the verge of bowing out early as well.