AFCON 2023: Ghanaian disarray! A Black Stars fan arrested for trying to fight coach Hughton
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 15.01.24. | 10:20
It all kicked off in the wake of Cape Verde humbling
An angry Ghana fan attempted to reach the Black Stars' head coach Chris Hughton in the wake of their team's shocking 2-1 loss to Cape Verde on Sunday night.
A rabid man tried to reach Hughton in the team hotel in Abidjan, but thankfully the local police did their job and prevented any graver incident from occuring. The identity of the man arrested hasn't been disclosed yet. The whole incident was reported by Ghanaian football reporter Saddick Adams late on Sunday night.
BREAK: One member of the Ghanaian supporters in Abidjan has been arrested for an attack on coach Chris Hughton at the team’s hotel.
— Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) January 14, 2024
It took the intervention of some Ghanaian diplomats who were around to save the coach.
The unidentified man has been handed to the Ivorian Police.
There has barely been a day of action at the Africa Cup of Nations and passions are already spilling over. But seeing fans trying to confront the people they're allegedly trying to support is just mindless.
Speaking after the game, Hughton expressed his disappointment and issued an apology to Ghanaian fans. The late goal left the Black Stars without a win once again at the start of a tournament, marking their third consecutive Africa Cup of Nations without an opening victory.
"We are incredibly hugely disappointed with the result. We came into the game with a game plan to start on the front foot."
Ghana now find themselves in a challenging position, needing a win in their next match against seven-time champions Egypt to revive their campaign. The setback occurred as they conceded a goal after 17 minutes, with Jamiro Monteiro easily tapping in a rebound after Richard Ofori parried a long shot.
Hughton hasn't been singled out for blame, though. Ghana's assistant coaches, George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, face criticism as well. Fans and pundits are pointing fingers at the coaching staff for failing to offer viable alternatives during crucial moments. Boateng and Dramani were appointed in March 2023, following Ghana's early exit from the 2022 World Cup. As Ghana aims to bounce back in the upcoming AFCON fixtures, Both Hughton's assistants will be under pressure to offer commendable advice and contribute positively to strategic decisions.
AFCON 2023- GROUP STAGE
Saturday
Ivory Coast - Guinea B. 2-0 (1-0)
/Fofana 4, Krasso 58/
Sunday
Nigeria - Equatorial Guinea 1-1 (1-1)
/Osimhen 38 - Salvador 36/
Egypt - Mozambique 2-2 (1-0)
/Mohamed 2, Salah 90+7 pen - Witi 55, Bauque 58/
Ghana - Cape Verde 1-2 (0-1)
/Djiku 56 - Monteiro 17, Rodrigues 90+2/
Monday
17.00: (1.40) Senegal (4.60) Gambia (10.5)
20.00: (2.15) Cameroon (3.25) Guinea (3.90)
23.00: (1.45) Algeria (4.10) Angola (8.50)
Tuesday
17.00: (1.75) Burkina Faso (3.60) Mauritania (5.70)
20.00: (1.40) Tunisia (4.60) Namibia (10.5)
23.00: (2.15) Mali (3.25) S.Africa (3.90)
Wednesday
20.00: (1.30) Morocco (5.80) Tanzania (12.0)
23.00: (2.40) Dr Congo (3.20) Zambia (3.40)
***odds are subject to change***
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