So, the worst kept secret over the last two weeks is finally out in the open: James Kwesi Appiah has made a return as Ghana coach.
The Ghana Football Association on Tuesday announced that Appiah will succeed Israeli Avram Grant, who ironically succeeded Appiah late in 2014.
The 56 year old's second coming has sparked mixed reactions among connoisseurs of the game and fans alike. While the skeptics believe his return will backfire, others are hopeful he is back with more matured knowledge to aid him turn things around for the Black Stars.
Coaches the world over struggle on their return to their former sides, but some stood the test of time and justified why they were rehired.
Below is a list of coaches who excelled on their return to a team they once managed.
Vittorio Pozzo
He is undoubtedly the greatest coach in the history of the Italian national team. Vittorio Pozzo had last coached the Italian national team in 1924 and was appointed yet again to helm the Azurris in 1929.
On his second return (third stint), he got third-time lucky when he propelled the Italian national team to one of the most remarkable achievements in the FIFA World Cup: winning the trophy back to back, a feat which hasn’t been repeated since (close to 80 years).
Charles Kumi Gyamfi
The late Gyamfi is the joint-most successful coach in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with three titles, an honour he shares with Hassan Shehatta of Egypt.
Gyamfi's first stint in charge of the Black Stars (starting in 1962) ended with him winning two Afcon titles in 1963 and 1965.
After leaving the team for the most part of the 70s, he was rehired in 1981 and found more success, winning the 1982 Afcon in Libya against many daunting odds.
Rinus Michels
The legendary Michels, the master tactician who invented 'Total Football', guided his home country the Netherlands to the 1974 FIFA World Cup, where his side fell short of winning the trophy by losing the final to Germany despite their widely hailed, entertaining brand of attacking football.
Michels returned to coach the Dutch team for the Euro 1988 tournament. After losing the first group match against the Soviet Union (1–0), the Netherlands went on to qualify for the semi-final by defeating England 3–1 and the Republic of Ireland (1–0).
The Orange beat Germany 2-1 in the semis and the Soviet Union 2-0 in the final to win the country's first and only (to date) major international trophy.
Jones Cecil Attuquayefio
Sir Jones, as he was affectionately known, led Hearts of Oak to a historic treble of league, FA Cup and CAF Champions League titles in 2000, after he had helped the club win two consecutive league titles. It was and still is the most successful era in the history of the Phobians.
Four years later he returned to the club to rescue the situation for them, following the departure of the German coach Ernst Middendorp midway in their continental campaign.
Attuquayefio revived the confidence of the players and propelled the team to the maiden CAF Confederation Cup title, beating Asante Kotoko in the final.
Fabio Capello
The Italian coach masterminded a La Liga triumph for Real Madrid in 1996 and returned a decade later to repeat the feat.
In the 2006-07 season, Capello managed the deja vu in remarkable fashion by clawing back from a massive 10-point gap by Barcelona to win the La Liga once again.
Source: pulse.com.gh