Former Black Stars coach Chris Hughton says frequent changes in the national team’s dugout are hurting Ghana, with the side preparing for two decisive 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Somalia under an interim coach.
“When you have inconsistency in the amount of time when a manager is staying, it’s never good,” Hughton told BBC Sport Africa during the Best of Africa Awards. “You want that consistency in the players [and] the players want that consistency in what they see in the manager.”
Ghana began Group C with back-to-back defeats last month, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké and 4-2 at home to The Gambia in Accra.
Those results ended Carlos Queiroz’s second spell inside a month, with the Ghana Football Association and the Portuguese agreeing to terminate his contract on October 1.
Women’s team coach Kim Bjorkegren has been asked to step in for the double-header. Ghana host Somalia in Sekondi on Thursday, November 12, with the return fixture on Monday, November 16.
Hughton knows the churn from the inside. He is one of five men to have led Ghana in the past six years, alongside Charles Akonnor, Milovan Rajevac and Otto Addo, as well as Queiroz.
Ghana dismissed him in January 2024 following a group-stage exit at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.
He warned that repeated sackings breed a mindset among players, who come to know that “if he (the coach) doesn’t do well then he won’t be there”.
Hughton also pointed to under-investment and what he called “fearsome” competition across the continent.
“Many years ago Ghana were at a level that was, if not the best team in Africa, certainly right up there,” he said.
“I think the government needs to do more as regards putting money into the infrastructure.”
He added: “In Ghana, the local game that used to produce so many good players, the support level is not there,” with pitches poor and supporters staying away.
Ghana have not won the AFCON since 1982, yet held England to a goalless draw at the 2026 World Cup before a 1-0 last-32 defeat by Colombia. “What I saw in the World Cup is that they represented the country very well, particularly the England game,” Hughton said.
Queiroz’s qualifiers were also hit by withdrawals, with six players from his original squad — among them Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Kudus — dropping out.
Hughton does not believe the coaching uncertainty was to blame: “Whether that was a reason or not, I don’t know. And I probably don’t think so.”
