Head coach of the Black Stars Chris Hughton has acknowledged that leading the Ghana men’s national team comes with pressure.
The 65-year-old, who is leading the Black Stars for the first time in at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has not had a good start in the ongoing 2023 edition in Ivory Coast, losing their first game to Cape Verde and picking a point against Egypt in their second match.
Asked in his pre-match press conference whether the fact that Ghana being four times champions of the competition puts a lot of pressure on him to perform, he said ” I think of the pressure that you go into every tournament with, I don’t think is a reflection of the past. Reason anybody associated with the Black Stars does not conscious of the trophies that we have won and the dominance in the past that the team has shown in this competition but this is a different year. There is always pressure if you are a Black Stars head coach or player. This comes with the game, he said.
However, he added that his players and he, as a coach, are already accustomed to the pressure that comes with competing at the highest levels.
“We have a group of players as does every team, that go into pressurized games at the club level to win the league or to make sure they stay in the league or cup and European competitions. So levels of pressure as head coach and we’re used to, and the players and it comes with the job and you will have to accept,” he said.
The Black Stars will play their final group B game against Mozambique on Monday night.
