Former Black Stars manager Chris Hughton has warned that persistent managerial instability is damaging Ghana as the national side prepares for vital 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers. The West Africans are set to play Somalia in back-to-back Group C fixtures under interim head coach Kim Bjorkegren. The Swede, who took charge of the women's national team, the Black Queens, in January 2025, stepped in after Carlos Queiroz departed by mutual consent following consecutive qualifying defeats against Ivory Coast (2-0) and The Gambia (4-2).
Hughton, who was dismissed from the Ghana role in January 2024 after failing to advance beyond the group stage at the 2023 Afcon, stressed that a lack of continuity harms the squad's psychology. Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, the 67-year-old explained that regular dismissals create a negative attitude among players, who know the coach will quickly be removed if results dip. The Black Stars have now cycled through five managers in six years—Charles Akonnor, Milovan Rajevac, Otto Addo, Hughton, and Queiroz—with current Sudan boss Kwesi Appiah's 33-month tenure between 2017 and 2020 standing as the longest since Fred Osam-Duodu in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Beyond the managerial turnover, Hughton noted that under-investment and increasingly fierce continental competition have heightened Ghana's struggles. The former Ireland full-back called for government funding to improve pitches and infrastructure, pointing out that domestic football no longer receives the support it once enjoyed. Although Ghana reached the last 32 at the World Cup under Queiroz and have qualified for five of the past six global tournaments, they have failed to pass the second round of Afcon since 2017 and missed out on the 2025 edition entirely. Queiroz's recent qualifying campaign was also hampered by squad withdrawals, with Antoine Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, and Baba Rahman pulling out.
With Ghana facing the genuine prospect of missing a second consecutive continental tournament in East Africa, immense pressure rests on interim manager Bjorkegren for the upcoming Somalia fixtures. As the country's search for a first continental crown since 1982 continues, Hughton maintained that establishing long-term stability in the coaching position represents a crucial step forward for the Black Stars.
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