Ghana's coach, Chris Hughton, faced termination on Tuesday following the team's elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations, as officially confirmed by the country's football association.
After securing a third-place finish in Group B with a 2-2 draw against Mozambique, Ghana's slim chances of progressing to the last 16 were extinguished with results in Groups C and D. The Ghana Football Association promptly announced Hughton's dismissal, along with the dissolution of the technical team of the Black Stars, signaling a need for a new direction.
Hughton, who took on the coaching role in March and also served as a technical advisor at the World Cup in Qatar, faced mounting pressure, exacerbated by a November World Cup qualifier loss to the Comoros Islands. The 65-year-old, with Ghanaian heritage through his father, managed four victories in 13 matches but struggled to meet expectations.
The Cup of Nations saw Ghana's defeat to the Cape Verde Islands in the opening game, an incident where an angry fan attempted to attack Hughton, and subsequent draws against Egypt and Mozambique, accumulating a meager two points.
Having won 53 caps as a fullback for Ireland, Hughton was already on the radar for the vacant Ireland manager's position. The dismissal of Hughton marks the second coaching casualty at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Gambia's Tom Saintfiet resigning earlier the same day as his team finished at the bottom of Group C. The Ghana Football Association pledged to outline the future roadmap for the Black Stars in the coming days.
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