Ghana has announced the dismissal of Chris Hughton in a harsh statement following their elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations during the group stage.
The Black Stars had a disappointing performance in Group B, earning only two points. They suffered a 2-1 defeat against Cape Verde in their first match and managed to draw 2-2 against both Egypt and Mozambique.
Ghana’s hopes were shattered in their final group game against Mozambique despite initially appearing likely to advance to the knockout stage. Despite holding a 2-0 lead until the 90th minute, an unexpected comeback by the Mambas, who scored two goals in three minutes, resulted in Ghana’s elimination from the tournament.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) have released a statement confirming the dismissal of Hughton, which reads: “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 Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”
Chris Hughton, the former manager of Newcastle United and Brighton, took over from Otto Addo after the 2022 World Cup. Ghana had a disappointing performance in the tournament, finishing at the bottom of Group H with only one win in three matches. Unfortunately, Hughton was unable to bring about any significant improvement as Ghana exited the AFCON at the group stage for the second consecutive time.
Ghana has a strong history in the AFCON, having won the tournament four times in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982. They have also been runners-up on five occasions: 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010, and 2015. However, in their last two appearances, Ghana has struggled to make an impact.
Under Hughton’s management, Ghana had a mixed start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. They secured a victory against Madagascar but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Comoros in their second match. In June, Ghana will face Mali and the Central African Republic in their upcoming qualifiers, with a new manager leading the team.
