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Tag: Avram Grant

  • Zambia fire ex- Chelsea manager Grant

    Zambia fire ex- Chelsea manager Grant

    Zambia have parted ways with former Chelsea manager Avram Grant after a disappointing 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, the national football association  has confirmed.

    The Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) lost at home to Tanzania, Morocco and Niger and finished fourth in the group under the 70-year-old Israeli.

    Grant was more successful in Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying, taking the southern Africa country to successive tournaments.

    Zambia exited the 2024 AFCON after the first round in Cote d’Ivoire , and will face 2025 hosts Morocco, Mali and the Comoros in Group A this December.

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    Announcing the termination of the contract with Grant, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) said it was necessary in order to “chart a new way forward for the Chipolopolo”.

    Referring to Zambia, Grant wrote on social media that he hopes “one day this great country qualifies for a World Cup for the first time in its long football history”.

    Grant was hired by Zambia in December 2022 having previously guided Ghana to second place at the 2015 AFCON and fourth in the following edition.

    After coaching four Israeli clubs from 1986, then the national team, Grant was hired by Chelsea in 2007. He later managed West Ham United.

  • Grant may coach Ahmed Musa at Leicester

    Grant may coach Ahmed Musa at Leicester

     

    Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa may get a new coach in former Black Stars Cocah Avram Grant, if permutations over who takes over Leicester City following the sacking of Coach Claudio Ranieri comes to the fore.

    The Premier League champions parted ways with the Italian following a string of poor outings which has pushed them deeper into relegation waters.

    Although most managers are not happy that Ranieri suffered such come today gone tomorrow experience the club must still look for a new manager to pilot the squad to the end of the season.

    Top among managers that have been mentioned include former Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini, Frank Deboar and Avram Grant.

    Grant, who left his post with the Black Stars following a disappointing 2017 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, is considered a good hand despite his below target achievement in Gabon

    Bookmakers Paddypower have the Israeli, who has also managed the likes of Chelsea and Portsmouth in the Premier League, as one of the favorites (8-1) to be appointed.

    Should Grant claim the job at King Power Stadium, he would be in charge of prominent African players such as Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa and Daniel Amartey.

  • Grant quits Ghana’s job

    Grant quits Ghana’s job

    Avram Grant has quit his job as Ghana’s head coach after more than two years in charge of the Black Stars, the country’s football association said on Tuesday.

    The Ghana Football Association (GFA) said in a statement that “the two parties will mutually part ways after their contract ends on February28.”

    “Both parties have mutually agreed not to renew the contract upon its expiry,” GFA added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Grant’s resignation came five days after his side was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2017 Africa  Nations Cup (AFCON) in Gabon.

    The Black Stars lost 0-2 to eventual winners Cameroon, and was defeated 0-1 by Burkina Faso in Saturday’s third-place match.

  • Grant predicts better future for Black stars

    Grant predicts better future for Black stars

     

     

    Avram Grant has stepped down as head coach of Ghana after failing to guide his side to African Cup of Nations glory, but insists the team has the potentials to rule the continent.

    The former Chelsea and West Ham boss said he is ‘proud’ of his record with the Black Stars and the parting of ways was amicable’.

    Prior to his resignation the west African nation had said that Grant’s two-year contract would not be renewed and that they were already searching for his successor.

    Grant took over as Ghana coach one month before the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and took the side to the final where they lost to Ivory Coast on penalties.

    At the tournament in Gabon, Ghana reached the semi-finals but were beaten 2-0 by Cameroon before losing 1-0 to Burkina Faso in the third-place play-off.

    ‘After an extremely amicable meeting with the president of Ghana FA, and following more than two successful years in charge of the national team, I’ve informed Mr Nyantakyi that time is right for me to move on to a new challenge and I thank him for the opportunity,’ Grant said.

    ‘I’ve hugely enjoyed my time in Ghana taking over after the disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign and rebuilding the squad to reach the final in the African Cup of Nations for only the second time in 23 years, and also the semi final of this year’s competition.

    ‘I’m proud of the fact that I’m leaving an extremely professional, strong squad of players of a good age, who I’m sure will go on to achieve great success in the future’

  • Gyan wants end to AFCON heartache

    Gyan wants end to AFCON heartache

     

     

     

     

    Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan is determined to seize another chance for Africa Cup of Nations glory by defeating Cameroon in Thursday’s semi-final.

    The Black Stars have reached this stage in each of the last six tournaments but have not lifted the trophy since 1982 and were beaten by Ivory Coast in the final of 2015.

    Avram Grant’s side, who beat DR Congo 2-1 in the last round, have looked one of the most convincing in Gabon but they have a poor record against Cameroon in the competition, having failed to win any of their three previous encounters.

    But Gyan, who hopes to be available following a groin problem, is confident that they can find a way past a team who upset favourites Senegal in the quarter-finals on penalties.

    “The team is motivated and what we want is a win against Cameroon, who have been playing as a unit,” he said, as quoted by SuperSport.

    “We all know many people thought Senegal would beat them but they proved a hard nut to crack.

    “It doesn’t really matter how we play as long as we get that win, because we feel it’s time we make our fans happy by going all the way in the tournament. That’s our main focus.”

    Fabrice Ondoa saved a penalty from Liverpool’s Sadio Mane to see Cameroon into the last four at Senegal’s expense and continue their unlikely push for the trophy.

    Head coach Hugo Broos is already proud of his young side but says they proved with their quarter-final display that they will be no pushovers against a fancied Ghana side.

    “It looks a very difficult game,” he said. “When you look at the Ghanaians, who have been in the semi-finals for the last six tournaments, it means that they’re a team constantly on with their job.

  • Grant hails Emenalo’s ability

    Grant hails Emenalo’s ability

     

     

     

    Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has described Nigeria’ Michael Emenalo as a true professional whose ability to identify good players remains unique.

    Grant who is leading Black Stars of Ghana at the ongoing Nations Cup in Gabon, noted that Emenalo has been buying good players for the Blues but regretted that the club’s revolving door policy has made achievement minimal.

    He wondered what would have happened had the club extended such ugly policy to Enenalo who is club director of football.

    “I think the problem is that Chelsea don’t have an identity of how they play,” Grant told ESPN FC at Ghana’s team base at the African Nations Cup. “Arsenal have, Pep Guardiola has; they don’t.

    They want to buy players and win titles but they cannot have an identity because they change coach every year or two.

    “On the other hand they have the director of football [Michael Emenalo] doing a good job, buying good young players, so the squad is fantastic — the most balanced in England. The one thing that is stable there is the owner [Roman Abramovich], Marina [Granovskaia, a club director] and the director of football.

    Black Stars battle Congo DR in Saturday’s quarterfinal as they attempt to have a go at the Nations cup for the 5th time, after emerging champions in 1963, 65, 78 and 82.

    Grant who took the Blues to the Champions League final after replacing Jose Mourinho in 2007 was sent packing afterwards, ironically the club has paraded 11 different coaches on either temporary or permanent basis.

  • Ghana name uncapped four

    Ghana name uncapped four

    GHANA coach Avram Grant has called up four new faces in a 31-man provisional squad for the 2015 Afcon.

    They include Sweden-based midfielders Enoch Adu Kofi of Malmo and Ibrahim Moro of AIK Stockholm, as well as defender Daniel Amartey of Danish side FC Copenhagen and striker Kwesi Appiah of English League Two side Cambridge United.

    Returning to the side are goalkeeper Ernest Sowah of DR Congo side Don Bosco, US-based defender Samuel Inkoom, Alfred Duncan of Sampdoria and another US-based player, David Accam, a striker who recently joined Chicago Fire.

    There was no place for experienced midfielders Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Michael Essien.

    Also missing was goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey who has not played for the Black Stars since their disappointing World Cup showing. The US-based star snubbed a call to feature in the final round of qualifying for the Afcon in November.

    The Black Stars open their campaign against Senegal before games against Algeria and South Africa.

    Squad:

    Goalkeepers: Razak Braimah (Mirandes, Spain), Adams Stephen (Aduana Stars), Fatau Dauda (AshGold) and Ernest Sowah (Don Bosco, DR Congo)

    Defenders: Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), John Boye (Erciyesspor, Turkey), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Jeffery Schlupp (Leicester City, England), Awal Mohammed (Maritzburg, South Africa), Kwabena Adusei (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Baba Rahman (Augsburg, Germany), Gyimah Edwin (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Samuel Inkoom (Houston Dynamo, USA), Daniel Amartey, (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)

    Midfielders: Rabiu Mohammed (Krasnodar, Russia), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Afriyie Acquah (Parma, Italy), Solomon Asante (T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo), Christian Atsu (Everton, England), Mubarak Wakaso (Celtic, Scotland), Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France), Alfred Duncan (Sampdoria, Italy), Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough, England), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), Adu Kofi (Malmo, Sweden), Ibrahim Moro (AIK Stockholm, Sweden)

    Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Lorient, France), Abdul-Majeed Waris (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE), Kwesi Appiah (Cambridge United, England), David Accam (Chicago Fire, USA)

  • NFF may hire Avram Grant for AFCON

    NFF may hire Avram Grant for AFCON

    Sky Sports understands the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) wants Avram Grant to manage the team during the Africa Cup of Nations.

    Former coach, Stephen Keshi was sacked on October 16 after a poor run of results.

    Grant succeeded Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager in 2007 and also managed Portsmouth and West Ham in the Premier League.

    During his time in charge at Stamford Bridge, Grant led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008 and runner-up spot in the Premier League in the same season.

    Grant has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup victories with different teams, and also managing the Israeli national team for four years.

    Grant moved to England in 2006 to become Technical Director of Portsmouth before being appointed Director of football at Chelsea in July 2007. Two months later, in September 2007, following the departure of José Mourinho, Grant was appointed manager of Chelsea. Despite steering the team into the Champions League final, the League Cup final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season.

    Grant returned to Portsmouth as Director of football in October 2009, and was made manager the following month. After the club’s relegation to the Football League Championship Grant resigned and, on 3 June 2010, was appointed as manager of West Ham United, a role he held up until 15 May 2011, when he was sacked after the club was relegated to the Football League Championship.

    On January 13, 2012, Grant was named the new manager of Partizan Belgrade. After guiding Partizan to their fifth consecutive Serbian championship, Grant resigned on May 14, 2012.