The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has appointed former Ghana gaffer Avram Grant as the new head coach of the national team with immediate effect, Sportgister.com.ng can confirm.
The former Chelsea and West Ham manager landed in Zambia’s capital Lusaka on Wednesday ahead of his appointment as the new head coach of Chipolopolo.Grant was unveiled as the new coach of Chipolopolo on Thursday during a brief ceremony at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka.
The 69-year-old has signed a two-year contract with an option for another year, with his major task being a qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.Grant emerged as the frontrunner ahead of locals and former National Team coaches Honor Janza and Wedson Nyirenda.
The Israeli tactician is replacing Croatian gaffer Aljosa Asanovic, who resigned from his position in September 2022 after being in charge for only nine months.Asanovic was hired as head coach of Zambia in January 2022 when he took over from local coach Beston Chambeshi.
The former Portsmouth boss handled the Ghana national team in his previous job in Africa from December 2014 to February 2017, where he guided the Black Stars to the finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
He also led the Black Stars to the semi-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, losing to eventual winners Cameroon.
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga thanked the people who participated in the process of selecting Grant.“Today’s occasion signals the new beginning for our game. Mr Grant is a well known figure in World football.
He was previously the National team coach for Ghana and Israel. At club level he has coached Maccabi Tel Aviv, Chelsea, Portsmouth, West Ham among others,” he said.“I wish to thank all of you who participated in the transparent process of picking the coach.
”Meanwhile Grant said he was happy to come to Zambia. He believes Zambia is a good challenge for him.“Am very happy to be here. This is my first time in Zambia. It is a lovely country.
I think Zambia has the potential, we have set the targets of what we want to achieve,” he said.“I was looking for the right challenge and that’s why I chose Zambia.
I came here because of the challenge and I hope when I leave here I will look around and say we did a good job and made a good foundation for the future.”However, Grant is expected to qualify Zambia for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Southern African country has failed to qualify for the last three editions of the AFCON.
