Soccer--Grant to leave Ghana job after Nations Cup

By Mark Gleeson

PORT GENTIL, Gabon, Feb 4 ( Reuters) - Avram Grant will leave his post as Ghana coach after Saturday's African Nations Cup third place playoff match against Burkina Faso, officials said.

Grant's two-year contract will not be renewed and the search is on for a successor, senior Ghana Football Association officials told Reuters.

The former Chelsea manager took over as Ghana coach one month before the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and took the side to the final where they lost to Ivory Coast on penalties.

At the tournament in Gabon, Ghana reached the semi-finals but were beaten 2-0 by Cameroon in Port Gentil on Thursday.

Israeli Grant avoided questions about his future, saying now was not the time to talk it.

Ghana made a poor start to their World Cup qualifying group with a single point from two games.

They have now qualified for six successive Nations Cup semi-finals but their last victory in the tournament came 35 years ago. (Editing by Ed Osmond)