The head coach of the Ghana national football team, Chris Houghton, is optimistic that the historical tension between clubs and countries regarding the release of players for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a thing of the past.
Traditionally, clubs and national teams face conflicts when players are called up for the month-long AFCON tournament, often clashing with a busy football season.
This has led to clubs being hesitant to release players for international duty.
Ghana, like many other teams participating in the upcoming Nations Cup, has players from top European clubs, including Thomas Partey from Arsenal, Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, and Jordan Ayew from Crystal Palace.
Despite this, Coach Houghton believes that the players are fully committed to representing their country.
“I’ve seen nothing to say that they are not absolutely fully committed. The spirit that we see in camp is wonderful,” said Houghton. “And I am incredibly confident that everybody that turns out for the Black Stars is there because he wants to be there and he wants to give his all,” he said.
Houghton notes a positive shift in the attitude of European coaches, suggesting that there is more acceptance of the situation, and previous conflicts between clubs and countries have diminished.
“Most clubs, head coaches, managers, now accept that when they take an African player there’s a chance that they will lose him for a period during the African Cup of Nations.
“So it’s one very much of the past, and I think the modern club and modern technical staff accept that this is going to happen,” added Houghton.
The Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to kick off in Ivory Coast on January 13, with high expectations from Ghanaian fans eager for success. The Black Stars, who last won the AFCON title in 1982, have been drawn into Group B alongside Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.
Source:zedmultimedia.com