The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has taken a courageous decision to beef up the Black Stars technical bench, with Coach Sam Arday as a key introduction as part of efforts to excel at the Gabon 2017 Africa Nations Cup slated for January 14 to February 5.
That was a fallout from a critical meeting between the Black Stars Management Committee and Coach Avram Grant held in Accra last Monday. Coach Arday, who is currently the chairman of the GFA Technical Committee, was considered a qualified candidate for that important position due to his wealth of experience as a veteran coach and has been part of the technical set-up of the Stars three previous World Cup campaigns in Germany, South Africa and Brazil.
That was a fallout from a critical meeting between the Black Stars Management Committee and Coach Avram Grant held in Accra last Monday. Coach Arday, who is currently the chairman of the GFA Technical Committee, was considered a qualified candidate for that important position due to his wealth of experience as a veteran coach and has been part of the technical set-up of the Stars three previous World Cup campaigns in Germany, South Africa and Brazil.
Coach Arday who is the Technical Director of Sogakope-based West Africa Football Academy (WAFA), would this time play the role of a major technical advisor between the team and the management committee. The new arrangement will also see three Ghanaian coaches being appointed as scouts to monitor Ghana’s opponents and furnish Coach Grant with the necessary report during the tournament.
On his part, Grant, who is said to have agreed with the committee’s proposal is bringing on board a physiotherapist and his favourite physical instructor, Jamie Lawrence, to enhance the conditioning of the players.
According to reliable sources, the committee acknowledged the role played by Lawrence during the Stars’ 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypyt in Alexandria last month.
The source said the committee lamented the Stars’ poor form in their last five games and stressed on the need to beef up the bench to reverse the trend in Gabon.
Jamaican Jemie Lawrence, the former Ashford Town Coach will be with the team for their pre-AFCON camping in Dubai and also stay with the team for the tournament which begins on January 14.
On his part, Grant, who is said to have agreed with the committee’s proposal is bringing on board a physiotherapist and his favourite physical instructor, Jamie Lawrence, to enhance the conditioning of the players.
According to reliable sources, the committee acknowledged the role played by Lawrence during the Stars’ 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypyt in Alexandria last month.
The source said the committee lamented the Stars’ poor form in their last five games and stressed on the need to beef up the bench to reverse the trend in Gabon.
Jamaican Jemie Lawrence, the former Ashford Town Coach will be with the team for their pre-AFCON camping in Dubai and also stay with the team for the tournament which begins on January 14.
Lawrence previously worked as the Physical Coach for the Black Stars team at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
He will join Spaniard Gerard Nus as the additional backroom staff for the Black Stars at the Cup of Nations.
31 year old Spanish coach Gerard Nus will be part of Ghana's technical team at the 2017 Africa Cup Nations in Gabon,
The current assistant director of Spanish club Rayo Vallecano and former Liverpool backroom staffer is not new to the Black Stars and the Afcon, having been part of the West Africans' contingent for the 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea where the team fell to Cote d'Ivoire on penalties in the final.
The former Melbourne City assistant coach recently had a spell with American outfit Rayo OKC as head coach.
Nuus, is one of the highly rated video analyst in Europe at the moment and is currently working with Rayo Vallecano in Spain.
Grant has him on board and he will join the entire squad in Dubai when the second phase of the preparation starts.
He will join Spaniard Gerard Nus as the additional backroom staff for the Black Stars at the Cup of Nations.
31 year old Spanish coach Gerard Nus will be part of Ghana's technical team at the 2017 Africa Cup Nations in Gabon,
The current assistant director of Spanish club Rayo Vallecano and former Liverpool backroom staffer is not new to the Black Stars and the Afcon, having been part of the West Africans' contingent for the 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea where the team fell to Cote d'Ivoire on penalties in the final.
The former Melbourne City assistant coach recently had a spell with American outfit Rayo OKC as head coach.
Nuus, is one of the highly rated video analyst in Europe at the moment and is currently working with Rayo Vallecano in Spain.
Grant has him on board and he will join the entire squad in Dubai when the second phase of the preparation starts.
He was part of the success story of Equatorial Guinea when the team lost to Cote D’voire only on penalties almost two years ago now.
The Black Stars will spend 12 days of camping in the United Arab Emirates, before heading for the tournament on January 13 - a day to the start of the competition.
In the quest for a fifth Afcon title, Avram Grant's men will play in Group D, alongside Egypt, Mali and Uganda.
Ghana has not won the Afcon since in 1982 when they last won in Libya. The Black Stars have done well in the last four editions and most experts and connoisseurs of the game believe Gabon 2017 is another opportunity for Ghana.
The Black Stars will spend 12 days of camping in the United Arab Emirates, before heading for the tournament on January 13 - a day to the start of the competition.
In the quest for a fifth Afcon title, Avram Grant's men will play in Group D, alongside Egypt, Mali and Uganda.
Ghana has not won the Afcon since in 1982 when they last won in Libya. The Black Stars have done well in the last four editions and most experts and connoisseurs of the game believe Gabon 2017 is another opportunity for Ghana.
By: Sammy Heywood Okine
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