Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has been fired by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) due to the team’s group stage elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the Ghanaian Black Stars’ 2023 AFCON campaign was dismal as they lost all three of their group stage matches.
A Tale of Twin Defeats
The Black Stars lost their opening game to Cape Verde 2-1 and played 2-2 with both Egypt and Mozambique, thus placing third in Group B with two points.
Ghana was eliminated on Tuesday as results went against their faint chances of qualifying as one of the four teams ranked third.
In February 2023, Hughton, 65, was named head coach of the Ghana Black Stars. Prior to that, he served as Ghana’s technical advisor for the World Cup finals and qualifying in 2022. The four-time AFCON champion Black Stars were unable to advance in Group B, which also included Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.
The former manager of Nottingham Forest, Norwich, Birmingham, Brighton, and Newcastle was let go by the Ghana FA on Tuesday night.
As per the announcement released by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Chris Hughton has been dismissed from his duties effective immediately.
“The executive council has also decided to abolish the Black Stars’ technical team.
“The GFA will offer a road map for the Black Stars’ future direction in the next few days.”
Ghana was eliminated at the group stage of the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon and met the same fate in Ivory Coast.
Additionally, the Black Stars had a mixed season under Hughton; the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifications saw a 1-0 loss in Comoros before defeating Madagascar with a stoppage-time goal.