Black Stars head coach, Chris Hughton, has revealed that he was the manager of Premier League side, Brighton, when the club attempted to sign late Ghanaian international, Raphael Dwamena.

Raphael Dwamena who died on Saturday, November 11, during a football match in Albania was on the verge of joining Brighton in 2017 in the Premier League when his deal was cancelled due to his heart conditions.

Speaking for the first time after the demise of the player, coach Chris Hughton noted that the late Ghanaian striker was someone he met when he was alive.

According to Hughton, the late Raphael Dwamena would have been the first Ghanaian to play for Brighton, not for his health condition that robbed him of his chance.

“Regards to the thoughts, he will be in the thoughts of all of us and on a personal note, I knew him. I was the manager of Brighton in 2017 when we tried to sign him. He was someone I met, I was aware of his circumstances,” Hughton said at the Press Conference ahead of Ghana’s game against Madagascar.

He added, “We had just got promotion to the Premier League, so this would have been a wonderful opportunity for him. He would have been the first Ghanaian to play for Brighton in my squad.”

According to him, the entire Black Stars team “shall all remember him in whichever way. He will be in our prayers” for their 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

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