Sports journalist Saddick Adams has chronicled events that led to the dismissal of Chris Hughton as Head Coach of the Black Stars and also outlined reasons why the team failed to progress in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The journalist, who joined the team on a mission to cover the AFCON, revealed on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show after returning from Ivory Coast due to Ghana’s early exit from the tournament that the environment in the camp was already toxic for Chris Hughton to exist in.
He recounted that there were some key officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) who were against Chris Hughton from the get-go, particularly after Ghana’s first game with Cape Verde, and had plotted to sack him, therefore creating tension for the coach as he had to deal with the animosity coming from the leaders and concentrate on the Black Stars winning their games to move to the next stage of the tournament.
Saddick Adams also narrated an incident where a certain prominent figure within the association was heard badmouthing Chris Hughton.
To him, all these had a negative impact on the coach, resulting in his poor decision-making and performance as coach.
“Chris Hughton didn’t help himself. He didn’t improve the team but the hard truth is that the environment was so toxic for him to even say that he has the grounds or peace of mind,” he said.
Saddick Adams, who recently went viral after a video of him losing his emotions while reacting to Ghana’s match against Mozambique, which resulted in a tie surfaced on the internet, further disclosed how discouraging the environment was for the players as well.
He noted that many players, even before the team’s exit from the AFCON, had already made up their minds to return to their various clubs, and their decision was predicated on the behavior of the leadership of the football association.
Some of the players, he stated, felt they were not given a chance because the leaders had their favorites, and additionally, there were divisions among the players themselves.
“There is no bond, and in football, without bond, you cannot reach anywhere,” he corroborated.
He also pointed out how the GFA treated the media poorly, as they prevented them from getting close to the players nor interacting with them, unlike the teams from other countries, who welcomed them with open arms to showcase their activities.
He added that the press was also not allowed to even cover the training sessions of the Black Stars, giving the impression that the football administration had some hidden motives.
“The Black Stars should have their training in the market for everyone to witness if indeed they train or not,” he fumed.
Looking at how things went in Ghana’s camp in Ivory Coast, Saddick Adams, although shocked at the team’s inability to beat Mozambique to qualify for the next round, is least surprised about the outcome as, to him, “if we had not even gone for this tournament, it would have been far better”.