Chris Hughton must be firm – J.E Sarpong

Veteran Ghanaian coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong has warned new Black Stars Head Coach Chris Hughton to be firm in his decisions following his appointment by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Up until his new appointment, the former Brighton & Hove Albion Manager had been the technical advisor of the Black Stars for the past 12 months.

Hughton, 64, led Ghana as technical advisor as the Black Stars exited at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, losing two group games against Portugal and Uruguay in Group H.

Otto Addo, who is now with German side Borussia Dortmund as a Talent Coach stepped down following Ghana’s exit at the Mundial, a decision he initially communicated to the GFA before the start of the tournament in the Middle East.

Hughton will now take the pedals of the four-time AFCON champions for the next couple of months.

According to the GFA, the details of the contract and terms of engagement would be announced in due course.

Reacting to the news, J.E Sarpong lauded the GFA’s appointment and revealed to Class Sports on Monday, February 13,2023, what Chris must do to be successful with the national team.

“I think the appointment of Chris Hughton is a right choice, because he was part of the team that went to Qatar as a technical advisor and he saw it all and now knows the culture of the team,” Mr Sarpong noted.

“Of course, with this, he must know he is in a very hot seat, Ghanaians don’t take defeat easily, if you are a new coach, the expectations are that the team should gel, the team should move from the current step to another step,” he cautioned.

According to Sarpong, to be successful with the national team, the former Brighton Manager must not welcome unmerited talk from the GFA.

His comment comes on the back of several allegations concerning player selections imposed on coaches by the GFA.

“It means you must know who should come and be part of the team, you don’t have to listen to anybody, be your own man and surge ahead,” Sarpong stressed.

“But if you lose your guard and then you want to satisfy people within the FA premises, because they employed you, you will fail as a coach of the Black Stars,” he warned.

Ghana sits at the summit of Group E of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification with four points and face a double header against the Black Antelopes of Angola, here in Accra and Luanda on March 20, 2023, and March 27-28, 2023 respectively.