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Former Ghana manager Chris Hughton has called for greater consistency in the Black Stars dugout as the team prepares for two crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers under temporary coach Kim Bjorkegren. The West African side faces Somalia in back-to-back fixtures after opening their Group C campaign with losses against Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
Managerial Instability and Hughton’s Warning
The recent defeats led to the departure of Carlos Queiroz, whose brief tenure was marked by uncertainty. Queiroz was initially appointed in April and guided Ghana to the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup, where they drew with England before being eliminated by Colombia. Despite announcing his departure after the tournament, the 73-year-old was reappointed in early September, only to leave less than a month later following a 2-0 defeat to the Ivorians and a 4-2 loss to the Gambians.
As told to BBC Sport Africa, Hughton stated that frequent managerial changes damage squad stability. “When you have inconsistency in the amount of time when a manager is staying, it’s never good,” he explained, adding that players need consistency in what they see from a manager.
Hughton’s own reign as head coach lasted less than 12 months before his departure in January 2024 following Ghana’s group-stage exit at the 2023 Afcon. He is one of five men to manage the national team in the past six years, a list that includes Charles Akonnor, Milovan Rajevac, Otto Addo, and Queiroz.
Infrastructure and Under-Investment Concerns
With Ghana facing the risk of missing consecutive Afcon finals, Hughton believes the difficulties are compounded by under-investment and rising competition across the continent. While noting that Ghana was once among Africa’s elite, he pointed out that other nations have improved significantly.
Hughton emphasized that government financial support is needed to improve national infrastructure and local football support. “The supporters in Ghana love the Black Stars most, first and foremost, and of course the Premier League is massive there, but there isn’t that support for the local game that there used to be,” he said.
World Cup Form Versus Afcon Struggles
Although Ghana has struggled to progress past the second round of Afcon since 2017, their World Cup record remains strong. They have qualified for five of the past six tournaments and reached the knockout stages three times. Ahead of the recent Afcon qualifiers, Queiroz faced squad difficulties when six players in the initial lineup withdrew, followed by several replacements.
Hughton noted that missing top players is always a concern for a team’s level, though he remained uncertain whether managerial instability caused the withdrawals. Interim coach Bjorkegren now leads the squad against Somalia as Ghana seeks to secure its place in the tournament in East Africa and find long-term stability.
