Former Fulham Midfielder Warns GFA Against Interference in Chris Hughton's Work as Ghana Coach

• Ex-Black Stars man Derek Boateng is backing Chris Hughton to succeed in Ghana
• The former Brighton manager was appointed coach of the Black Stars in February
• Hughton took charge of the national team for the AFCON qualifiers against Angola

Derek Boateng, a member of the Black Stars team that first saw Ghana qualify for the World Cup in 2006, has warned against interference in the work of new coach, Chris Hughton.

Boateng is calling for support for the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager as the country hopes to end a 42-year wait for the AFCON title.

Hughton signed a 21-month contract to be coach of the Black Stars and supervised his first two games against Angola during the international break.

After an impressive two-legged game, where Ghana picked up four points, Boateng believes Hughton has shown signs of succeeding as coach of the national team.

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However, he believes the English manager needs support on all fronts.

“He needs support because he is not too experienced on the African terrain. He needs support from the media, and the GFA should not interfere with his job. He should be left to work independently and be allowed to call his choice of players because you can see that he is a very genuine coach, so he needs to get that freedom to work so we can see how it goes,” Boateng told Asempa FM, as quoted by footballghana.com.

Boateng noted Hughton's experience in the Premier League and said his capabilities were well-known.

“His profile is really good, but since this is his first national team job, he needs our support," the former player added.

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Boateng enjoyed a stellar career, playing for several clubs including Fulham in the English Premier League and Getafe in the Spanish La Liga.

Boateng discusses meeting Maradona

Sports Brief also reported on Boateng describing meeting Diego Maradona, saying interacting with the 1986 World Cup winner was breathtaking.

The former Black Stars man could not believe his eyes when he first met the late football legend, saying he was left speechless for some time.

Narrating the moment to Ghanaian journalist, Dan Kwaku Yeboah, Boateng struggled to find words to explain the feeling of seeing Maradona in person.