Ghana/Algeria: Black Stars' Coach Fumes At Training Conditions

Asamoah Gyan of Ghana scores the winning goal. He had returned to the side after a malaria scare to show his incredible strength and finishing ability, stunning Algeria.
23 January 2015

Ghana's Avram Grant has become the latest coach to bemoan conditions at the African Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea and says his Black Stars side has been put at a disadvantage ahead of tonight's must-win Group C clash with Algeria.

Grant says the team bus the side has been allocated to travel in is sub-standard, a fact made worse as they have to travel an hour to train whereas opponents Algeria have a short distance.

"We had to drive one hour while Algeria could train near the hotel," the former Chelsea coach told reporters.

"They changed the venue of the training, both of us need to train one hour from the hotel a day before the game. We asked to come closer, they didn't let us do it.

"I am sorry to say you need to see our bus. It is a bus which behaves like a ship.

"We are the only team that receives this bus, the other team have a good bus. So when I say good words about the organisation I want you to know about the other things."

Grant also suggested he would test the ire of organisers by not attending press conferences in future having been given short-notice about Thursday's gathering.

"I came here because I respect you (journalists). But it will not happen again," he said.

Ghana must likely beat Algeria to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive after a 2-1 loss to Senegal in their pool opener on Monday, but Grant says he is not feeling the heat.

"I don't think pressure is a negative word. Of course it puts you under pressure but we were under pressure before the game," he said. "I say to the players there are two kinds of life: the people who are on the beach without pressure, and the people who need to play football and achieve something.

"We want to achieve something especially after the bad result in the first game even though I thought the players played very well."

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