A member of Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party, Gabby Otchere-Darko, has given his approval to the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) appointment of Chris Hughton as the Black Stars coach.
The former Executive Director of the Danquah Institue praised the decision and expressed confidence that the experienced coach would bring success to the national team, who have not won a major trophy in over four decades.
Mr Otchere-Darko, who is known for being vocal about topical issues, revealed that he is good friends with Hughton. He also denied speculations that he influenced the coach’s appointment.
“Chris Hughton was brought by the Ghana Football Association, not me. Chris and I have been good friends for a long time. He is a Tottenham fan, and I am an Arsenal fan. President [Nana Akufo-Addo] is a Tottenham fan, and I’m an Arsenal, but we are good friends. These things happen because God works in mysterious ways of putting strange people together,” Otchere-Darko said, as reported by Footballghana.com.
Had lunch today with my good friend @Thomaspartey22 and the young man who calls me "Uncle", @EddieNketiah9 after their training session. They are both in very high spirit and determined to see @Arsenal returning to winning ways, starting from Saturday against @AVFCOfficial. pic.twitter.com/PmUBxjuppr
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 16, 2023
“Chris is the choice of the GFA, and I think that it is a good decision. When there is a vacancy anywhere, people lobby, and at the time, most people thought he deserved the job. GFA also needed someone who knew the team,” he added.
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Hughton’s appointment follows the departure of interim coach Otto Addo. Hughton has already led the Black Stars to a win and a draw in his first two games as coach, both against Angola in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for 2023.
Otchere-Darko’s comments contradict previous criticisms of the GFA’s handling of the national team. He was critical of Charles Akonnor’s dismissal and the subsequent appointment of Serbian Milovan Rajevac, who oversaw Ghana’s worst-ever performance in the Africa Cup of Nations last year in Cameroon.