Kluivert, Grant Among Favourites for Ghana Job

Former Holland assistant coach Patrick Kluivert is one of five persons shortlisted by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to succeed Kwessi Appiah as new coach.

The four-time African champions have been without a coach since Appiah left in September.

Ex-Chelsea Avram Grant, former Italy midfielder Marco Tardelli, former Egypt coach Michael Pont and Spaniard Juan Ignicio Jimenez are among candidates in consideration for the Ghana national team job.

“Pont, Kluivert and Tardelli will arrive in Accra to be interviewed on 17th October, 2014 while Grant and Jimenez will be interviewed on 18th October 2014,” the GFA said.

The GFA also said two coaches, German Bernd Schuster and Argentine Ricardo Gareca, have been named on standby in the event any of the aforementioned candidates is not readily available.

Dutch Legend Patrick Kluivert.
Dutch Legend Patrick Kluivert.

Kluivert scored 40 goals in 79 appearances for Holland between 1994 and 2004. His spell as an assistant to current Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal with the Netherlands ended after the 2014 Fifa World Cup, where the ‘Oranje’ finished third.

The ex-Ajax, Barcelona and AC Milan striker began his coaching career in 2011, in charge of Dutch side FC Twente youth and reserve team.

Israeli coach Grant spent four years managing his home country before moving to England, where he spent a year with Chelsea.

Tardelli’s previous stints as manager with Inter Milan and Bari were short-lived before another ill-fated career with Egypt national team. He left his position as assistant to former Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni last year.

Pont has been assistant coach with his home country Switzerland. Jimenez recently coached Spanish side Valladolid.

The GFA meanwhile has appointed Maxwell Konadu as caretaker manager for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers double-header against Guinea. They will travel to Casablanca for the first leg of the qualifying tie before hosting the return leg four days later.

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