The Ghana Football Association on Sunday, February 12, 2023, announced the appointment of Chris Hughton as the new head coach of the Black Stars.
The Black Stars’ coaching job became vacant following the resignation of coach Otto Addo in December 2022 after the Black Stars exited the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in the first round.
He is being assisted by Mas-ud Didi Dramani and George Boateng who have maintained their jobs after coach Addo left his role.
Hughton took up the job as head coach after a year as technical advisor.
Hughton (64), who also managed Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich, Brighton and Nottingham Forest after a successful playing career was born in Forest Gate, then part of Essex, now part of London, the son of a Ghanaian postman, Willie Hughton, and his Irish wife Christine, née Bourke.
Hughton of Ghanaian heritage (a second generation Ghanaian) represented the Republic of Ireland (the country of his mother) and had 53 full caps with 1 goal as a full back from 1979 to 1991, becoming the first mixed-race player to represent the country. He made his debut for Ireland in October 1979 in a friendly against the United States.
From June 1993 to October 2007, Hughton was a coach at Tottenham Hotspur, initially in charge of the under-21 team, then the reserve side in 1999, being promoted to the first team two years later. In his time at Spurs, he served under 11 different managers: Keith Burkinshaw, Ray Clemence, Doug Livermore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Gerry Francis, Christian Gross, George Graham, Glenn Hoddle, David Pleat, Jacques Santini, and Martin Jol. He also served as caretaker manager on two occasions.
The former West Ham United manager paid a courtesy call on the Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi-Bonte II, immediately after his appointment as the head coach of Ghana and said he was delighted to be back home.
“It’s a pleasure for me to meet you and I’ve heard so much about you and I know how much you enjoy football,” Hughton said.
“Predominantly, the reason I’m here is to see family, my Father is from Jamestown and this will be a very proud moment for him.
“I very much appreciate and welcome your words of wisdom and this is something that I’ll take forward with me.”
Chris Hughton’s father, Willie Hughton is from Jamestown, the Ga-Dangmes ethnic group that lives primarily in the Greater Accra of Ghana.
The Ga people were organized into six independent towns (Accra (Ga Mashie), Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, and Tema).
Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts of Accra, Ghana and emerged as communities around the 17th century British James Fort and Dutch Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea coast.
Out of the 58 football federation members of CAF, 27 of their national football teams are presently being managed by expatriates, some of them like Chris Hughton are of African Heritage.
The Ghana coach Chris Hughton says it’s a proud moment for him to be back in the land of his father to reconnect with his Ghanaian family.
References:
Sangeetha M, biography of Chris Hughton, March 2023:
Emmanuel Ayamga, a journalist with Pulse, February 2023:
English, Alan (18 June 1988). “My joy at Chris, by Mrs Hughton”.
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