Black Stars technical advisor Chris Hughton
Former Brighton and Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton has opened up on reconnecting with his family in Ghana after joining the Black Stars.
The Irish-Ghanaian was appointed the technical advisor of the Black Stars in March after Milovan Rajevac’s sacking.
He assisted Otto Addo and his assistants to secure qualification to the World Cup at the expense of Nigeria.
The Ghana FA reposed confidence in the technical team by maintaining them for the upcoming World Cup.
Hughton, who was born to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother opted to play for Ireland at the international level.
His brother Henry and son, Cian also represented Ireland at the youth level.
He was the first black player to represent Ireland, in 1979.
With the Black Stars job, Hughton has the chance to call in on relatives in Ghana, both in Accra and Tema, further east from the capital along the country’s Atlantic coast.
“Football put me in a position where I had opportunities and experiences.
“As a kid, we didn’t travel much to Ireland or Ghana. On my mother’s side, her brothers and sisters were in England so my grandmother came over regularly to see us.
“We had very working-class parents so, in those days to travel, it was a big deal and a big expense, especially when you had three kids.
“So, I got the opportunity to know Ireland, not just from a footballing point of view, but to explore it. Ghana to a lesser degree because it’s a lot further away, so that’s been a lovely part of it, reconnecting with family.”