Former Chelsea manager, Avram, Grant has officially been appointed as the new coach of Ghana’s Black Stars, the country’s football federation said Thursday.
“All outstanding issues with Mr. Grant have been cleared and we believe he is the right man for the job,” the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi told journalists, announcing the appointment of the Israeli coach which had been widely expected.
Nyantakyi said Ghana had modest expectations for the Black Stars performance at next year’s African championship, because Grant needs time to know the players very well.
“So we can’t ask him to win the Nations Cup, that will be unrealistic…His target is to do well at the 2015 Nations Cup and win the 2017 Nations Cup,” the federation boss further said.
Grant, 59, is succeeding the sacked Kwesi Appiah who presided over a disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign that included poor play and scandals off the pitch.
The new coach 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.
