2023 AFCON: Our mentality is to win the trophy – Chris Hughton

Head coach of Ghana, Chris Hughton has opened up on the mindset of his team ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

Speaking after Ghana drew goalless against Namibia in a pre-tournament friendly on Monday, the coach said his team is heading to the AFCON determined to do well to lift the trophy.

“How far we can go depends on the performances that we can put in. One thing I know is that this is a group of players that want to do well. And if you have a group of players that desperately want to do well you never know what can happen and I certainly don’t want to be a head coach of a team that doesn’t think that have a chance of winning it,” Coach Chris Hughton said in a post-match interview.

The Irish-Ghanaian tactician continued, “That has to be the mentality going into the tournament but we know we have to play well. Things have to go our way, we have to be fortunate with injuries and we have to be very optimistic that we can do very well.”

The 2023 AFCON is scheduled to start in Ivory Coast on Saturday, January 13.

The Black Stars of Ghana will play their first match of the tournament in a game against Cape Verde on Sunday, January 14.