Ghana FA confirm ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant as new Black Stars coach

Published on: 27 November 2014
Ghana FA confirm ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant as new Black Stars coach
Avram Grant

The Ghana Football Association announced on Thursday that former Chelsea manager Avram Grant is the new coach of the Black Stars after agreeing a 27-month contract.

The 54-year-old Israeli, who missed out on winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2008 after a penalty shootout defeat in the final against Manchester United, will lead Ghana in January’s African Nations Cup finals.

Grant replaces Kwesi Appiah who led the Black Stars at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but was fired in September.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ghana FA’s headquarters in Accra, president Kwesi Nyantakyi said he has set the Israeli a target of “doing well” at the 2015 African Nations Cup tournament in Equatorial Guinea and aim to win the 2017 edition.

“Grant needs time to know the players very well so we can’t ask him to win the Nations Cup. That would be unrealistic,” he said.

Grant held a string of management positions in his native Israel, including four years as coach of the national side.

He moved to English outfit Portsmouth as technical director in 2006 and then to Chelsea as director of football, taking over from Jose Mourinho as manager when the Portuguese was sacked in September 2007.

But his time at Stamford Bridge was short-lived and his contract was terminated at the end of the season, despite guiding the Blues to the runners-up spot in the Champions League and Premier League.

Following a return to Portsmouth, he quit and joined West Ham in 2010 but was sacked after the Hammers were relegated.

He went on to manage Serbian side Partizan Belgrade and will come to Ghana from Thai club BEC Tero Sasana in Bangkok, where he is currently technical director.

Despite this being his first managerial appointment on the continent, Grant has been entrusted with guiding Ghana’s fortunes at the Africa Cup of Nations starting in January.

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