GFA Sacks Chris Hughton: Chris Hughton’s exit was anticipated, especially after the Black Stars faced an unexpected setback, suffering a 2-1 defeat to eventual group winners Cape Verde in their inaugural match.
Following this defeat, reports emerged that the 65-year-old manager was confronted by an upset supporter at the team’s hotel in the Ivory Coast, where the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is being held.
The subsequent 2-2 draw against Egypt saw Ghana relinquish their lead twice.
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In their final Group B encounter, as the Black Stars headed into added time with a 2-0 advantage, courtesy of two penalties by Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew, they seemed poised to secure a spot in the last 16.
However, Hughton’s team conceded a penalty in the 91st minute, subsequently scored by the opposition.
Read Also: AFCON 2023: Black Stars Throw Away 2 Goal Lead As Mozambique Secure A Dramatic Draw
Ghana’s disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign reached a climax as they failed to secure a victory in any of their group-stage matches in the Ivory Coast.
The pivotal moment came in Monday’s disastrous 2-2 draw with Mozambique, ultimately leading to the dismissal of manager Chris Hughton.
Despite Hughton’s tenure since last February and prior involvement as Ghana’s technical advisor for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and finals, the Black Stars were unable to advance from a challenging group that included Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.
GFA Sacks Chris Hughton:
On Tuesday, the Ghana Football Federation issued a statement revealing that the dismissal of the Englishman was a decision made by the executive council.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) 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 Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”
Despite the draw with Mozambique on Monday, Ghana retained the opportunity to advance to the Round of 16, potentially securing a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.
Nevertheless, Cameroon thwarted any hopes of that scenario unfolding by securing a 3-2 victory over The Gambia on Tuesday, officially sealing the Black Stars’ elimination from the tournament.
Chris Hughton’s admission after the game: “I take responsibility for this performance and acknowledge that my results with the Black Stars have not met expectations.”
“We had a group of players that really wanted to do well but the performance and results in these three games was not good enough.”
“My impact on the team can only be judged by the results.”
“This was the best opportunity we had to do well. We’ve had the players for a long period now to train together and we anticipated we would grow stronger the longer we went in the competition, but the fact is we haven’t.”
“My assessment of my results is that they haven’t been good enough.”
