Chris Hughton Admits He Could Have Achieved More with Additional Time as Black Stars Coach

Chris Hughton, the former head coach of Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, has expressed his belief that he could have made a greater impact if he had been given more time in the role.

Following a disappointing exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where Ghana was knocked out in the group stage, Hughton was dismissed as head coach by the Ghana Football Association.

In an exclusive interview with 3Sports, Hughton shared his thoughts on his brief tenure with the Black Stars, highlighting that managing a national team is fundamentally different from club football.

Hughton was appointed as the substantive head coach of the Black Stars after Otto Addo stepped down from the position following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His tenure was short-lived, and despite initial expectations of success, the Black Stars’ performance at AFCON 2023 led to his dismissal.

“The job of managing a national team is not the same as coaching a club,” Hughton explained. “National team managers often have limited time with their players, and the work you can do with them is not as consistent as it would be with a club side. I believe that with more time, I could have brought out the potential of this team.”

“I was brought in after the World Cup, and by the time AFCON came around, the team had not had enough time to gel. It takes longer to instill a playing philosophy and get the players to understand it, especially when they don’t have the luxury of regular practice with their national coach,” Hughton added.