Ghana and Chris Hughton’s African Cup of Nations campaign got off to a terrible start Sunday, falling 2-1 to Cape Verde in their opening match in the Ivory Coast.
Ghana would have been considered favorites going into the match, but their performance most definitely did not live up to that expectation. After just 17 minutes, they would fall behind, with Cape Verde taking the lead thanks to a goal from Jamiro Monteiro.
While the West African team would equalize through Alexander Djiku in the second half, there was more drama to store in injury time.
To guarantee all three points for Cape Verde, Garry Rodrigues would score a late victory.
Roberto Lopes of Shamrock Rovers would play the entire match for the victorious team.
With games remaining against Egypt and Mozambique in their AFCON group, this outcome puts Ghana under extreme strain. As the frustration with Chris Hughton’s managerial style grew, it appeared like tensions would eventually explode during the match.
After Ghana’s defeat at the AFCON, a fan attacked Chris Hughton.
Ghanaian supporters do not hold Chris Hughton in the highest regard; many are dissatisfied with his performance as head coach of the national side. Before the AFCON, some even called for his dismissal, however it is expected that he will fire him if the team does poorly in this competition.
Following yesterday’s match, there was an unpleasant incident at the team hotel where a Ghanaian fan allegedly attacked the former Ireland international.
The expectations Ghanaian supporters have for their team are quite high and haven’t been fulfilled for a while. They lost all three of their games during the competition, and as a result, they were eliminated in the group stage of the AFCON in 2022.
An announcement about Chris Hughton’s appointment to the Ireland post is expected next month. Hughton has been connected to the role in recent months.
It appears that his time in Ghana is rapidly coming to an end, whether or not he is offered the Ireland post.