AFCON claims careers of two coaches already

• Chris Hughton was sacked by Ghana after they were eliminated
• Tom Saintfiet resigned as Gambia coach
• Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi is under fire

AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) has been an enthralling tournament with erstwhile big teams finding it tough, with the so called ‘small teams’ causing shockwaves.

And, the results have not only been hard hitting on the teams, but their technical teams as well with two coaches already having left their posts after the group stage round in Ivory Coast.

The Ghana Football Association has fired head coach Chris Hughton, just minutes after the exit of the Black Stars at the AFCON was confirmed.

Ghana were held to a 2-2 draw by Mozambique in their last group match and the only hope they had of a last 16 place was on whether they could rank in the top four of the best third placed teams.

However, Mauritania’s shock victory over Algeria confirmed their departure as they fell down the pecking order.

Immediately, the Ghanaian FA released a statement saying the coach had been sacked alongside his entire technical bench.

“The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the senior National team with immediate effect. The Executive Council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars,” a statement from the FA said.

AFCON mess: Ghana FA to provide roadmap

Chris Hughton. PHOTO/Ghana FA

It further added; “The Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”

Ghana were beaten by Cape Verde in their opening match before drawing back to back against Egypt and Mozambique. The last game proved more painful as they led 2-0 until the 90th minute and were on the brink of qualification before conceding twice in added time.

After the game, the Ghanaian team was blocked by angered journalists demanding to talk to the players who had breezed through the mixed zone without granting interviews, much to the dismay of the journalists.

Hughton was appointed as head coach last February, having worked as a technical assistant to Otto Addo at the World Cup in Qatar.

The former Brighton tactician had come increasingly under pressure since the start of the World Cup qualifiers, with many questioning his tactics, and why the team was not flourishing despite having a huge number of top players.

Meanwhile, while the GFA sacked their coach, Gambia were hit with a resignation letter from their gaffer Tom Saintfiet.

Saintfiet resigns after Gambia’s elimination

Gambia head coach Tom Saintfiet.

Gambia were eliminated from the AFCON after finishing bottom of their group from three consecutive losses.

Saintfiet now ends his five-year tenure with the Scorpions. He was appointed in 2018 and led the side to the quarter-finals of the last Cup of Nations in Cameroon, which was their debut.

“Thank you for your service gaffer. After everything is said and done, Gambia will indeed miss a great tactician. Five and a half years of incredible service to our nation, qualifying us to back to back AFCON was no fluke. Always the best of luck,” the Gambia Football Federation said in a message posted on X.

The tactician had hoped to replicate the Cameroon heroics in Ivory Coast, but they found the going tough after a troubled build up to the tournament. The players had earlier on before travelling to Ivory Coast been involved in a stand off with the Federation over qualification bonuses.

The Gambia were 168th in the world rankings when Saintfiet took charge in July 2018, and the 50-year-old departs after improving their position to 126th.

The Scorpions were the lowest-ranked team at the 2021 finals but beat Mauritania, Tunisia and Guinea on the way to the last eight, where they were beaten 2-0 by hosts Cameroon.

They opened their 2023 Afcon campaign with a 3-0 defeat by defending champions Senegal and then fell to a 1-0 loss against fellow West Africans Guinea, before a 3-2 defeat to Cameroon.

Meanwhile, the future of Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi remains under scrutiny after Les fennecs were eliminated in the group phase for the second consecutive time.

Insiders claim that Belmadi said he would resign from his post, though the Algerian FA is yet to shed light. However, many close to Algeria claim that Belmadi’s time at the national team might be coming to an end after four years.