Hughton ‘hugely disappointed’ after Ghana defeat to Cape Verde

Coach Chris Hughton has apologised to Ghanaians for the Black Stars’ disappointing loss to Cape Verde in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 opener on Sunday.

The team’s failure to secure a win in their first match for the third consecutive time has put them in a difficult position, requiring a victory against Egypt to keep their hopes alive.

In a post-match conference, Hughton expressed his frustration, saying, “We are incredibly hugely disappointed with the result. We came into the game with a game plan to start on the front foot.”

🇬🇭Chris Hughton🗣 is sorry and admits the defeat to Cape Verde is hugely disappointing. pic.twitter.com/zeQ09vMpYs

— George Addo Jnr (@addojunr) January 14, 2024

Black Stars were second-best in most parts of the game, and it was not surprising they ended up losing 2-1.

The team faced a setback when they conceded a goal within the first 17 minutes, allowing Jamiro Monteiro to tap in a rebound after Richard Ofori parried a long shot. Although Majeed Ashimeru had a long shot disallowed just before halftime, the Black Stars managed to score a deserved equaliser from an Alexander Djiku header off a corner kick. However, poor defending led to Cape Verde scoring a late winner through Garry Rodrigues.

With their next match against Egypt on Thursday, the Black Stars face the possibility of an early elimination, similar to their previous AFCON performance.