Ghana sack manager Chris Hughton after group stage exit at AFCON

Chris Hughton, manager of Ghana, was sacked after the team was eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in the group stage, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed on Tuesday.

"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 GFA said in a statement. "The Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars."

Ghana finished their three games in Group B with two draws and one loss and came in third in the end. As Mauritania upset Algeria 1-0 in Group D on Tuesday night, Ghana's hopes of advancing to the knockout stage went up in smoke.

The GFA also dissolved Hughton's technical team, which included former Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng and former Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston.

Before Hughton took over the Black Stars in February 2023, he was working as the GFA's technical advisor. He replaced Otto Addo, who was fired after Ghana's group stage exit at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ghana won the AFCON title four times, but the latest one was in 1982 in Libya. After the 2-1 loss to Cape Verde in their first group game, Hughton was accosted by an unhappy supporter in the team hotel. Then they had two 2-2 draws with Egypt and Mozambique in their following two games. The second one not only put the team in a very unfavorable situation but also drew verbal abuse against Hughton from some fans and journalists.

"When you are unable to see the game through, it becomes very difficult," Hughton said. "Our performances have not been good. We played three games, conceded two goals in each game and have ourselves in a difficult situation. My assessment of my results is that they haven't been good enough."