Chris Hughton urges Ghana to prioritise stability in Black Stars coaching setup

Former Ghana coach Chris Hughton has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to establish greater stability in the Black Stars’ technical team, warning that frequent changes of coaches could affect the team’s development.

Hughton’s comments come at a difficult period for Ghana, who are preparing for two important 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Somalia under interim coach Kim Björkegren.

The Black Stars have endured a disappointing start to their qualifying campaign, losing their opening two Group C matches against Ivory Coast and Gambia. The results led to the departure of Carlos Queiroz, whose second spell in charge of the national team lasted less than a month.

Björkegren, who normally manages Ghana’s women’s national team, has since been appointed on an interim basis to oversee the upcoming fixtures.

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, Hughton expressed concern about the frequency of coaching changes within the national team, insisting that players need continuity to develop a clear understanding of their coach’s expectations and methods.

“Irregularity in the length of time a coach remains in their position is never a good thing ,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager believes constant changes in the technical department can make it difficult for players to settle into a consistent system.

He also warned that repeated managerial departures could create the impression among players that coaches will automatically lose their jobs whenever results fail to meet expectations.

For Hughton, building a competitive national team requires patience and a stable working environment, rather than regularly changing the person in charge.

Hughton reflects on Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign

Despite his concerns about the team’s current situation, Hughton also reflected on Ghana’s performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, identifying some positive moments from their campaign.

The Black Stars secured a goalless draw against England, a performance which the former coach believes showed the team could compete against strong opposition.

Although Ghana adopted a largely defensive approach during the encounter, Hughton felt the players represented the country well and managed to create opportunities in front of goal.

Ghana eventually reached the round of 16 before their tournament came to an end following a 1-0 defeat against Colombia.

Ghana prepare for Somalia double-header

The coaching situation has remained a major talking point following Queiroz’s departure.

The Portuguese manager was initially appointed in April before leaving the position and returning at the beginning of September. His experience in international football was among the reasons highlighted by the GFA when he was brought back.

However, his second spell ended following consecutive defeats against Ivory Coast and Gambia.

Ghana lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Bouaké before suffering a 4-2 home defeat against Gambia in Accra, leaving the team under pressure in the AFCON qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars will now turn their attention to Somalia, with the first meeting scheduled for Thursday, 12 November, at the Essipong Sports Stadium.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 GMT, with the return fixture set for 16 November.