Welcome Grant, do well!
Yesterday, Avram Grant, the new technical helmsman of the Black Stars, was formally unveiled to the Ghanaian media in Accra, a day after the draws for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup were held in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital.
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We view his 27-month contract, which lasts till after the 2017 AFCON, with much interest, in the expectation that he would have succeeded in uplifting the Stars from their current dwindling fortunes.
His hiring comes in the aftermath of the shame and disappointment that the Stars brought to Ghanaians during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil last June-July, and the struggle by the team to make the 16-nation AFCON for January 17-February 8 next year.
It is every Ghanaian’s expectation that Grant will make an instant impact at the job with a Nations Cup-winning formula in Equatorial Guinea; the Stars having hungered for this prize since 1982 when they last tasted it for the fourth time.
But in the wisdom of the FA, but which may not represent the wish of the generality of Ghanaians, Grant should take the Stars to the AFCON next year and “do well”.
This certainly appears a loose target for a huge coach of Grant’s calibre. But in fairness to the former Chelsea of England coach, he needs to be given the time and space to settle into the job without much pressure.
We reckon the limited time of barely six weeks within which to prepare the team for Equatorial Guinea and, therefore, to go and “do well” can only be a just target.
Indeed, doing well does not preclude winning the tournament. And we believe Grant understands that and, perhaps, may be ambitious to achieve that as bonus even before the 2017 AFCON which event his employers have tasked him to win without fail.
We are inclined to put our bet on Grant as the man to raise the Stars to new heights in Africa and world football in view of his positive intentions.
He made it abundantly clear at the meeting with the media that he was ready to scout for players, especially on the local scene, so there would be more local content in the senior national team, much as he would also assist to improve the technical abilities of the other teams.
We hope that these are not mere wishes and that Grant would move beyond the talk with real action to satisfy Ghanaians’ craving for him to be the Stars messiah.
Welcome Grant to a football-crazy country where the fans are fastidious, yet once the Stars get on the groove you can be sure of an exciting and memorable stay.