Sports News of Saturday, 18 November 2017

Source: ghanacrusader.com

We knew Avram Grant was destroying Black Stars - GFA member

Former Black Stars coach, Avram Grant Former Black Stars coach, Avram Grant

Black Stars Management Committee Vice Chairman, Wilfred Osei Kweku Palmer, says former Black Stars coach, Avram Grant, was gradually damaging the team during his reign with regards to his call ups as he created no room for competition.

The former Chelsea trainer was at the helm of affairs during the start of Ghana’s World Cup qualification campaign to Russia and accumulated just a point from two matches having already propelled the Black Stars to second position in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking on the Football Legends Night Show on GH ONE TV yesterday, Palmer highlighted how Grant’s call ups didn’t bring about competition in the team and was used to calling up his template squad and partly blamed him for Ghana’s inability to qualify.

“Avram didn’t help our quest to qualify for the World Cup. A coach is as good as his call ups. The moment you make the wrong choice it will follow you through and that is exactly what happened when Avram was in the saddle.

“For instance when we going for the 2017 AFCON, we had as many as 34 players on trials with the senior national team, because we had sampled the opinion of Ghanaians to him especially players he had put on the fringes and had not invited in the team but just after the exercise he dropped all the new players in team.

“When things happen this way, we cant do anything as management. We knew he was deriving the team into a ditch but as management members who could only render our advice and see what happens afterwards,” Palmer stated.