Chris Hughton, the newly appointed Head Coach of Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, has expressed his determination to build a team capable of competing at the highest level of international football. Speaking during his official unveiling in Kumasi, Hughton emphasized the importance of having a balanced team made up of both experienced and young players, as well as the support of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the country’s citizens.
Hughton, who served as Technical Advisor to the Black Stars for a year before his promotion, said he plans to use his coaching experience to create a winning team. “If you look at the present squad that we have, remember we went into the World Cup with the youngest squad. My balances are on bringing these young players through and making sure the experienced players we have in the squad could be a good combination,” he said.
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He added that the call-ups into the national team were based on a thought process that often changes due to factors such as player availability because of injuries, making it difficult to have a particular metric or criteria for selection.
Hughton also discussed his plans for the local league, noting that he would monitor it closely as Head Coach of the Black Stars, as he did not have the opportunity to do so during his time as Technical Advisor.
Addressing concerns about interference by the GFA in the work of coaches, Hughton said he had not faced such issues during his tenure as Technical Advisor.
The Communications Director of the GFA, Henry Asante Twum, provided details of the contract agreement, stating that Hughton had signed a 21-month contract that will end in December 2024. He added that the two Assistant Coaches of the Black Stars, George Boateng and Didi Dramani, had also signed the same contract agreement, which will be subject to a performance review.
Hughton’s first test as Head Coach of the Black Stars will be an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Thursday. With Hughton’s commitment to building a strong team, Ghanaian football fans can look forward to an exciting future for the Black Stars.
This is great news! I’m so glad to hear that Chris is planning to build a successful team with a balanced mix of experienced and young players. I hope that he can bringGhana to the top!