Race for Hughton’s successor… GFA sets Feb 2 deadline

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has set a deadline of February 2 for coaches interested in the vacant Black Stars coaching position to submit their applications. 

Following the dismissal of Coach Chris Hughton over poor performance at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire, the FA immediately set in motion a recruitment exercise to find a suitable replacement for the Irish coach.

The FA's five-member search team is led by GFA vice president, Mark Addo, with a clear mandate to identify a candidate who can bring renewed vigour and strategic direction to the senior national team and return them to a path of success.

The search committee has extended an invitation to interested coaches to submit their curriculum vitae (CV) by the February 2 deadline, even though the Fa is adopting a two-prong approach by looking beyond voluntary applications and headhunt the most competent candidate should they fail to secure an applicant who meets the outlined criteria.

According to the FA's criteria for the Addo-led search team, potential candidates must be proven winners with a track record of coaching top men's national teams or clubs. 

Additionally, candidates must have a minimum of 15 years of coaching experience at a high level. 

The emphasis on experience and a proven track record underscores the GFA's commitment to selecting a coach with a strong foundation in achieving success at the highest levels of football.

Since the coaching job became vacant, it has generated widespread interest within the football community, and the GFA looks determined to conduct a thorough selection process to ensure the best coach was appointed to handle the national team.

There has been high attrition rate of the Black Stars coaches in the last five years due to the dwindling fortunes of the team, with the exit of Hughton making it the fifth coach to have handled the Black Stars within this period.