FA, Ministry to confer over Grant

The fate of Avram Grant as the next Black Stars coach will finally be determined at a high-profile emergency meeting today between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga.

The FA boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi, told the Graphic Sports yesterday that today’s meeting was meant to brief the minister on the agreement reached between the association and the Israeli trainer prior to his expected appointment. 

According to him, the FA concluded discussions with the former Chelsea coach before he returned to the UK a few days back.

But as had been the norm, the FA would spell out the details of the agreement to the government (which is the owner and financier of the national team) for endorsement or otherwise.

Playing the role of a kingmaker, Mr Ayariga’s input could be the deciding factor in today’s important meeting with regard to Grant’s signing as replacement for Kwasi Appiah, who was sacked in September, midway into Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Mr Nyantakyi, however, revealed that Coach Grant, who handled the Israeli national team for four years, could not travel to Tamale to watch the Black Stars against Togo last Wednesday as planned after concluding discussions with him.

While awaiting the announcement of the next Stars coach, opinion is divided over whether to extend the mandate of acting coach, Maxwell Konadu, take the team to the AFCON 2015 in Equatorial Guinea or entrust the Stars fortunes into the hands of the high-profile Israeli coach, who is reportedly guaranteed a monthly salary of $50,000 and a signing-on fee in excess of $200,000.