Chris Hughton’s Team Selection Was Controlled By ‘Order From Above’- Lilwin Alleges
Ghana is currently facing the aftermath of the AFCON 2023, particularly the disappointing campaign of the Black Stars. In light of this, Lilwin has come forward with a significant allegation that sheds light on the deep-rooted issues within the team.
Lilwin confidently stated that the team’s abysmal performance, resulting in Ghana’s consecutive exit from the AFCON tournament after two draws and a loss against Cape Verde, was influenced by certain influential politicians.
He emphasized that this claim is not a mere allegation but a verifiable fact, as he spoke to some of the Black Stars players who confirmed this.
During his account of the conversation, Lilwin revealed that certain officials within the Ghana Football Association (GFA) compelled Chris Hughton to include players in the squad who did not deserve to represent the team.
He further explained that the substitutions made by Hughton were not solely his own decisions but rather directives from higher authorities, which exerted immense pressure on him to make certain choices that ultimately harmed the team’s performance in the AFCON tournament.
Lilwin went on to describe the details of his conversation with the Black Stars players, which unfolded after he criticized the team for their subpar display.
“Some of the Black Stars players called me and told me that it was not their fault entirely for the poor performance. From the conversation, Ghanaians should rather be angry at the GFA, not the players or the coach. Order from above forced Chris Hughton to name some players in the squad for the games which was against his will.
“After the coach has named his squad, there will be calls and pressure from the top for him to include some players and he had to obey because they appointed him. It was part of the reasons why he made certain changes you wouldn’t understand,” he said in a video shared on his Instagram page.
LilWin further warned the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to desist from interfering in the job of coaches to help the Black Stars thrive in tournaments.
“So we are telling the GFA to allow the coaches to work and stop the interference. If a player deserves to play in the first half that’s fine if not, they should stop the order from above to influence the coach’s decision. If this continues, then the Black Stars should be dissolved,” he added.
