With Ghana’s biggest stars either injured or unavailable due to disciplinary disputes with the Ghana FA, Avram Grant is lowering expectations ahead of their opening Africa Cup of Nations match against Senegal in Equatorial Guinea on Monday.

With matches against Algeria and South Africa to follow, Group C is seen as the tournament’s group of death.
Grant said: “In the last tournament two years ago, Ghana’s golden generation of players only made it to the semi-finals and this time we are in a very tough group.

“Even though my aim is to build a team for the next tournament in two years, I am convinced we can surprise this time. We already have a very good team and some of our younger players will become big names in Europe.”

This will be Grant’s first competitive match as coach since leading Partizan Belgrade to the Serbian title in 2012.

Having left West Ham a year earlier, Grant hopes to return to England one day. He said: “Just after I signed
with Ghana, Pini Zahavi called and said he had an English team for me. But I’m hungry for this challenge.”

South Africa captain Dean Furman will be looking to get his team off to a winning start against Algeria.

There will be two Israeli-based players in the tournament – the Zambian duo of Emmanuel Mbola and Evans Kangwa, both play for Hapoel Ra’anana in Ligat Ha’Al.