Afcon 2023: Ghana and Hughton under intense pressure ahead of crunch clash with Egypt

The first major casualty of an Africa Cup of Nations where almost every day produces a startling result looks imminent. Thursday’s matches were always liable to raise the temperature across West Africa, with Ivory Coast meeting Nigeria and Ghana involved in their own heavyweight bout. But few anticipated that Ghanaian supporters might be consulting bus timetables about a hasty return home.

The tournament’s structure, with four of the best third-place finishers progressing to the last 16, may be forgiving, but the task facing Ghana’s Black Stars, four times Afcon champions, is not. They face the competition’s most decorated nation, Egypt, needing to urgently salvage a campaign set back by a 2-1 defeat last Sunday to Cape Verde.

The travelling fans have not shown much of a forgiving side. Ghana’s head coach, Chris Hughton, had to be shielded from physical danger from an irate fan as the team returned to their Abidjan hotel after Cape Verde’s stoppage-time winner left Ghana at the foot of Group B.

“It’s the past,” said Hughton, facing questions about the incident for the first time. “And I appreciate the levels of support I have had and I do thank people for that.

“When we lose, it is very difficult. After a bad performance or a bad result, I am the leader who has to be able to concentrate on the next game. What’s important is that you put it in the past.”

For Hughton, who has a long and mostly distinguished managerial background in English football, including gaining promotion to the Premier League with Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion, the Ghana role threatens to be a brief and unfulfilling chapter.

Coach Chris Hughton on the incident that happened at the hotel after Cape Verde.

Says he thanks all of you for