After Chris Hughton was fired as coach of the Black Stars, the Ghana Football Association started looking for a new leader.
Hughton was fired on Tuesday after overseeing Ghana’s elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations group stage. With just two points at the end of the group stage, Ghana was eliminated.
The following is a list of possible Chris Hughton substitutes:
Tom Saint-Field
After the final group of the Gambia was in Côte d’Ivoire, the 50-year-old quit as their coach. He coached the Gambia for six years before resigning on Tuesday.
Saintfiet qualified the nation to compete in the 2021 AFCON for the first time. When he guided the squad to the competition’s knockout round, he went above and beyond expectations.
Having coached in Namibia (2008–2010), Zimbabwe (2010), Malawi (2013), and most recently, The Gambia (2018–2024), Saintfiet is no stranger to the African continent.
Hervé Renard
Herve Renard, for Ghanaian football supporters, was the one who escaped. The Frenchman assisted Ghanaian coach Claude Le Roy with physical training during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Renard soon after led Zambia to the 2012 AFCON championship. Zambia, captained by Renard, defeated Ghana 1-0 in the semifinals of the Gabon and Equatorial Guinea tournaments en route to victory.
He would cause even more suffering three years later when he led Côte d’Ivoire to defeat Ghana on penalties in the Equatorial Guinea AFCON final.
Renard’s acceptance of a €400,000 yearly salary to coach France’s women’s football team raises the possibility that the belief that she was too costly may no longer hold.
Even though their appeal may not be at its peak, the four-time African champions, the Black Stars, remain a desirable brand.
Renard, who is renowned for his firmness and tactical acumen, might be the best person to carry out the much-needed cultural reset.
Jose Mourinho
After departing A.S. Roma last week, The Special One is now accessible. He turned down a formal offer from Saudi Pro League team Al Shabab that same week.
Despite his wealth of experience, Mourinho has never served as an international coach. Following disappointing seasons at A.S. Roma, Tottenham Hotspurs, and Manchester United, Ghana might be the ideal challenge for both teams.
With the young, driven, and talented group under Mohammed Kudus, the star of West Ham, Mourinho could succeed and, in the process, turn around his rapidly declining reputation.
A top-tier coach with a track record of winning championships and developing young African talent should be too good to refuse for Ghana.
Prosper Narteh Ogum
Ogum enjoys a good reputation in Ghanaian football circles. His prior experience, which includes time spent with Kotoko, West Africa Football Academy, and Ebusua Dwarfs, has given him a reputation as a progressive but strict coach who produces outcomes.
Ogum’s deep understanding of Ghanaian football and his low salary would be his two biggest advantages over any foreign coach.
Local coaches are usually paid less by Ghana’s Sports Ministry than their international counterparts. Ogum will have a much better chance of coaching the Black Stars if money takes precedence over all other factors when selecting the team’s next head coach.
