By Gbemidepo Popoola
On Tuesday, 23 January 2024, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced that Chris Hughton has been fired as head coach of the Black Stars, with immediate effect.
This decision comes after Ghana’s underwhelming performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they failed to progress past the group stage, finishing 2nd bottom of the group.
Hughton, who was appointed in February 2023, led the Black Stars to just two points from three matches in Group B, drawing with Mozambique and Egypt, and losing to Cape Verde. This marked the second consecutive AFCON tournament where Ghana failed to win a single game.
The GFA Executive Council also announced the dissolution of the entire Black Stars technical team alongside Hughton’s dismissal.
A move which signifies a complete overhaul of the team’s leadership in the hopes of sparking a revival.
“The GFA will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars,” the statement read.
This roadmap is likely to include the appointment of a new head coach and technical staff, as well as outlining their plans for upcoming qualifiers and tournaments.
The GFA now faces the crucial task of finding a new leader who can restore Ghana’s footballing identity and guide them back to success on the continental stage. The search for a new coach will be closely watched by Ghanaian fans, who are eager to see their team compete at the highest level once again after back-to-back failures.
