'Ghana's next coach' plans to unleash Hudson-Odoi, other EPL stars on Super Eagles
The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Hughton arrived in Accra last Friday
Widely-reported incoming Ghana national coach Chris Hughton has started work before he is named as the coach of the Black Stars.
Hughton, if eventually named this week will have his first assignment as the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
To prosecute this assignment Hughton has started wooing Ghana-born footballers in the diaspora.
According to reports in Ghana, he has already made contacts with Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, Southampton Muhammed Salisu, Brighton Tariq Lamptey and others.
The first leg of the match between the Super Eagles and Black Stars of Ghana will hold on March 23 in Ghana at a venue yet to be announced officially and the second will take place in Abuja on March 29.
The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Hughton arrived in Accra last Friday and held talks with officials of the Ghana Football Association before meeting the father of Chelsea star Hudson-Odoi over a possible national switch.
Though Hudson-Odoi is presently on holiday there are no reports of the youngster meeting the incoming coach.
But according to Citi Sports, Hughton met with the senior Hudson-Odoi at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on Sunday afternoon.
The meeting with Bismark Odoi helps convince the 21-year-old to consider representing Ghana as a senior international.
Hughton arrived in Ghana on Friday and there are reports he is the favourite replace dismissed Milovan Rajavac as Black Stars coach.
If confirmed, the 63-year-old will be in charge of the four-time African champions for March's 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs qualifier against rivals Nigeria.
Hughton will have to enliven a crestfallen national team that suffered an ignominious first-round exit at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Hughton has a rich wealth of managerial experience including managing clubs like Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion in the English Premier League.
While Salisu may join the Black Star immediately chances that Hudson-Odoi and Lamptey will join the Black Stars for the Super Eagles match is remote.
Both have represented England at youth level and FIFA’s on change on allegiance says playing willing to make allegiance must have represented the former country less than three times, all appearance must be before the age of 21 years and it must not be in a major international tournament.
