Following Ghana's goalless draw with Madagascar, former Hearts of Oak coach and Ghanaian football legend, Mohammed Polo, has called for the sacking of Chris Hughton, the current coach of the national team.
The disappointing result has left Ghana's qualification for the next AFCON in doubt, as Group E remains open with three teams vying for the ticket. Polo expressed his dissatisfaction with Hughton's performance, labeling him as an incompetent and terrible coach.
Reflecting on the match in an interview with Rainbow Radio, Polo criticized Hughton's inability to produce quality players and attractive football. He argued that Ghana should replace him with a coach who has a better understanding of the game.
“In the local league, we have better coaches who play quality football and are far superior to Chris.”
Polo emphasized the strength of local coaches in Ghana, highlighting their ability to play quality football and develop talented players. He urged for a discussion on the matter, emphasizing that these local coaches are unquestionably superior to Hughton.
“This should be a discussion. We witnessed the local coaches’ intramural league. We observed the level of excellence they brought to their games. We witnessed the calibre of players they developed and employed in their games. These coaches are unquestionably superior to the current coach of the Black Stars.
Furthermore, Polo stressed the need to invest in the local league, as he believes it has been neglected. He warned against waiting until everything falls apart before making necessary changes, emphasizing that player development primarily occurs at the local level. Polo urged a focus on the development of local football.
"This coach did not produce quality players or football. We must fire him and replace him with a better coach who understands excellent football.”
“If this is the type of football we play, then we’ve gone back to basics,” he continued. You don’t just get up and go to camp without any preparation. You’d also need a good coach to help you deliver, therefore if this is the type of game we want to/play, let’s hire a local coach to oversee the team,” Polo said.
In conclusion, Polo suggested that if Ghana continues to display the type of football seen in the recent match, the team has regressed. He emphasized the importance of proper preparation and the need for a competent coach, suggesting that hiring a local coach to oversee the team would be a suitable solution.
“We need to invest in the local league because we have abandoned it.” It is not too late for us to make the proper decision. We should not wait until we have wrecked everything before making changes. Players are developed at the local level rather than at the national level. We have some time to address the concerns I’ve raised, and we need to focus on local football development.”
