Ghana’s two most recent World Cup campaigns have been marred by rather unfortunate events. The Black Stars lost in the quarter-finals in the 2010 tournament against Uruguay after Asamoah Gyan failed to convert a last-gasp penalty, painfully failing to become the first African nation to ever advance to the semi-finals.Â
And in the Brazil 2014 edition of the tournament, the country’s experience was ruined by a host of off-the-field controversies, as Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari were sent homeprior to a decisive match against Portugal after $3 million in cash had to be flown into satisfy the players’ demands for bonus payments.
The 2010 and 2014 World Cups are what currently define Ghana as a footballing nation, and Avram Grant is surely aware of this. The 59-year-old Israeli, who is most known for leading Chelsea to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, will be unveiled as Ghana’s new manager this Wednesday, and his task will be to guide the country out of the rough patch it is presently experiencing.
His first challenge begins on January 17 in Equatorial Guinea with the start of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. With less than two months until the event kicks off, Grant must become familiar with his players and their style of play as well as implement his tactics to the side. Luckily, Ghana has a vast amount of talent for Grant to work with. He may find it difficult, however, to actually get all of this talent in his squad due to various existing personal rifts.
Adam Kwarasey, for example, is Ghana’s best goalkeeper by a sizable margin. The 6-foot-3 shot-stopper won the Norwegian Tippeligaen’s Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2013 while leading his Strømgodset side to its first league title since 1970. He was named to the 2014 World Cup squad, alongside Fatau Dauda, who played in three matches all season long for South African side Orlando Pirates, and Stephen Adams, a domestic-based keeper. Kwarasey started the first match against the United States, and after the 2-1 loss, he was replaced by Dauda.
This decision was not based on performance as he was not at fault whatsoever for the two goals conceded, but rather was driven by differences between he and goalkeeper trainer, Nassam Yakubu. Kwarasey did not accept a call-up to the squad’s most recent qualifying matches and will likely do the same for the Africa Cup of Nations if Yakubu remains part of the coaching staff. Grant could choose to start from scratch and appoint his own coaches; this may bode well for the likelihood that Kwarasey returns. Nevertheless, Grant will have plenty of players to convince inrejoining the national cause.
Due to the aforementioned events at the 2014 World Cup, Boateng and Muntari remain question marks. Boateng has never been too dedicated to the national cause, having switched his national team allegiance to Ghana from Germany, his country of birth, only a matter of months before the 2010 World Cup. He would go on to feature just three more times for the Black Stars before rejoining the squad in the build up to the Brazil 2014. In the span of more than four years, he made only 13 appearances, and voluntarily missed the 2012 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Muntari, who has 83 caps to his name, is more likely wanting to compete in the January event, but it remains to be seen whether he will be welcomed back with open arms. The good news for Grant is that he will be able to recall these players if he so pleases as George Afriyie, who was recently named Management Committee Chairman, has said that the selection of players, “rests solely on the coachâ€.
For this very reason, hiring a manager of Grant’s stature was a wise move on the part of the Ghana FA, as he has dealt with big names in the past. In his sole year as Chelsea’s manager, he directed the likes of Petr ?ech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Nicolas Anelka, and Ghana’s very own, Michael Essien. In fact, Essien had arguably his finest season as a professional under Grant’s guidance,scoring six goals in 27 league appearances (23 starts), as well as starting in the Champions League Final against Manchester United. Essien is 31, and his career has been plagued by injuries, but he can still be a useful contributor to the national setup for the next few years if used correctly.
Should he and Muntari, 30, be starting together in the center of the pitch? Probably not, but players of their quality can undoubtedly make an impact in a more limited role alongside younger players, such as Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Mohammed Rabiu, Wakaso Mubarak, and Kwadwo Asamoah.
James Kwesi Appiah, manager for Ghana from 2012 to September of 2014, was not up to the task of managing his stars effectively; the only two players who were truly at their best at the most recent World Cup were André Ayew and Asamoah Gyan, who is both the skipper and all-time leading scorer. Grant’s experience should allow him to get the best out of his top players, and while victory at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations should not be expected given the short-term nature of his preparations, victory is certainly within the realm of possibility.
As if he didn’t already have enough on his plate, Grant will have to contend with his new side playing against some Arab countries, which have only obliged to let the Israeli in for official matches. Ghana could simply not schedule friendly matches against such countries to keep this from becoming too much of a headache, but in all likelihood, Grant will have to make a trip for a qualifier in a country that is not very receptive of citizens of the Jewish state.
North Africa in particular has a history of football riots, and it would not be unreasonable for Grant to fear for his life if he were to manage a game in the region. World football is supposed to be a unifying sport, but sadly, for Israel that has not always been the case. In 1974, the nation was kicked out of the Asian Football Confederation in a vote led by Kuwait, undoubtedly due to political reasons. Israel went without a confederation from 1974 to 1991, when they became a member ofUEFA. Grant, however, will not have the peace of mind managing his new country’s official matches in Europe.
Ultimately, bringing success to the football-rich nation of Ghana will be difficult for Grant for unusual reasons. He has plenty talent at his disposal (although the Black Stars are not quite as deep or talented in the defense as they are in the midfield and in attack), but tumultuous circumstances surrounding the side coupled with possible political issues for the manager himself could complicate his new journey, one which will be well worth watching in the months to come.