Chris Hughton Finally Explains Why He Subbed Off Bukari Right After He Gave Away The Second Goal

• Chris Hughton, in a post-match press conference, explained the wisdom behind substituting Osman Bukari right after he gave away Egypt's second goal
• The coach explained that he felt the mistake had affected Bukari, so as a way of protecting him, he subbed him off
• Buari gave away the second goal that saw Egypt equalise for the second time in Ghana's Group B fixture at the AFCON

Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has come to the defence of winger Osman Bukari, who made a costly error in Ghana's 2-2 draw with Egypt in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

Bukari, who came on as a substitute for Inaki Williams in the 73rd minute, was dispossessed by Trzeguet in his own box, leading to Egypt's second equaliser in the 74th minute.

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The mistake proved to be costly, as Ghana failed to secure their first win in Group B, having lost to Cape Verde in their opening game.

Hughton, however, explained that he had no personal issue with Bukari and that he subbed him off 15 minutes later to protect him from the emotional impact of the error.

Chris Hughton explains he holds nothing against Bukari

The Black Stars coach clarified that the decision was not made because he and his coaching staff had a grudge against Bukari. He said:

We like Bukari a lot, and we have a lot of faith in him. I have to make decisions on the bench based on what I see, and my feeling is that there are a lot of emotions in the game. For those who know Osman, he is not only a very committed player but an honest player. At that moment when he made the mistake, I thought it affected him.

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Many Ghanaians were, however, not buying the explanation and felt the change would kill the young man's spirit.

Fifi Anaman speaks on coaching in Ghana's AFCON campaign

In conversation with YEN.com.gh, sports journalist Fifi Anaman spoke about Chris Hughton's tactics during Ghana's AFCON stint. Fifi said the coaching was not the best and did not help certain players meet their full potential.

Coaching was suspect as one couldn't see any proper influence of the coach on the team. The players also didn't seem as confident and committed. A lot needs to be done going forward. Some of the changes and decisions that were made were very questionable. He said.

Black Sherif's reaction to Bukari's error

In a related story, Black Sherif had a funny reaction after Osman Bukari gave away the ball for Egypt's second goal against the Black Stars.

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Bukari, who had just been subbed in, instantly made an error that led to Egypt's second equalizer of the night.

The Black Stars eventually drew by two goals to two, giving them just one point in their second game in Group B.

Source: YEN.com.gh