Afcon 2023: Ghana boss Chris Hughton backed ‘100 per cent’ by Black Stars after fan hotel altercation

Former Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Newcastle manager Hughton became Ghana coach in February 2022, having previously been a technical advisor in the Black Stars’ set-up.

Four-time Afcon champions Ghana were unbeaten in their first five games under the former Tottenham full-back but have lost four of their past six.

Two of those defeats have been significant upsets, the loss to Cape Verde following on from a World Cup qualification shock at Comoros in November.

“We have had a meeting with the coach and gave him 100% assurance that we are solidly behind him,” Ghana FA’s spokesperson Henry Asante-Twum added to BBC Sport.

“We think it is possible for the team to win the two remaining matches to make it to the next round.”

Asante-Twum said that security at Ghana’s hotel had been “beefed up” after the incident that involved a single supporter who confronted Hughton about the team’s under-performance.

“There was only a verbal confrontation,” he added. “He was actually trying to get closer to the coach and then the security on duty intervened – there was no arrest but security took him away from the scene.

“Normally after games, tempers are high, emotions go up – we will try as much as possible to not allow this thing to repeat itself.”