Frederick Acheampong, Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has voiced his belief that former coach Chris Hughton was not the right fit for the Black Stars.
Acheampong’s comments come after Hughton was sacked following the Black Stars’ disappointing performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.
Despite signing a 21-month deal in March 2023, Hughton’s tenure as the team’s coach only lasted 11 months.
However, Acheampong revealed in an interview that he was against Hughton leading the team from the start, despite media support.
“The bus stopped with us, but in decision-making, we allowed everyone to bring their input. From the beginning, I was not in favour of Chris Hughton, despite the backing from the Ghanaian media,” he told Asempa FM as monitored by ighanaian.com.
He also disclosed his suggestion before the appointment of Otto Addo, stating, “People suggested that [Addo] was not a top-class coach, but the Football Association said Otto Addo had been with Milovan Rajevac and knew the team. If Chris Hughton wanted the job, he should come as a technical adviser, and later he could take on the coaching role after getting familiar with the team.”
Acheampong emphasized his stance during engagements with Chris Hughton and asserted that he communicated his reservations to President Kurt Okraku.
“In my engagement with Chris Hughton and if you ask president [Kurt Okraku] he will tell you that I was never for Chris Hughton because he was not good at coaching the Black Stars,” he added.
During his time as Black Stars coach, Hughton oversaw 12 matches, with four wins, four draws, and four losses.
Following Hughton’s departure, a five-member committee has been established to recommend a new coach to the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
