Former NorthEast United head coach Avram Grant appointed Zambia manager

He has also previously managed Chelsea and Ghana.

Avram Grant, former NorthEast United technical advisor and head coach, has been appointed as the new manager of the Zambia national team on a two-year contract. The 67-year-old has also previously managed Premier League outfits Chelsea and West Ham United. On the international front, Grant has also managed Ghana and the Israel national teams.

He led Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League final in 2008 and Ghana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final, ending both as runners-up. Grant's most recent position was as technical director of the Indian Super League (ISL) club NorthEast United in 2018, where he was subsequently appointed to head coach, succeeding Joao de Deus for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Under him, the Highlanders won twice and finished the season at the bottom of the table.

Prior to joining ISL Club, Grant led Ghana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea, and again to the semi-finals of the same tournament in 2017, when they were defeated by eventual winners Cameroon.

What Avram Grant said:

“I came here as a football coach. Zambia has the potential, we (need to) set the target of what we want to achieve and I want to thank president Andrew (Kamanga) and the (selection) Committee for choosing me and giving me the opportunity to share my experience and take Zambian football forward which I think Zambia deserves,” Grant said after his unveiling.

“I was looking for the right challenge. The challenge here (in Zambia) is big and the potential is big. I am a man of challenges and this is the reason that I chose Zambia and Zambia also chose me and I will say thank you for choosing me. You see the young national team of Zambia (is) improving a lot. I think this is the best (time) for building something good for the present and the future and it is things that I want to do.”