Two-time Afcon winner Renard open to Ghana return 

Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach Herve Renard revealed rejoining Ghana remains a good option for him.

The Frenchman has earned prominence on the continent, having led Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire to glory at the elite championship, in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

He went on to coach Morocco at the 2017 and 2019 Afcons and the 2018 World Cup but his first working spell in Africa was as an assistant to then Ghana coach Claude Le Roy at Afcon 2008.

“Yes, I have to come back one day to help one country [Ghana] to win, and that country hasn’t won it for a long time,” Renard told Juliet Bawuah in a live video chat on Twitter.

“It will be a fantastic challenge but at the moment you can’t talk about it.

“In 2008 when I was the assistant coach, Ghana was 14th in the world and I think it will be a very good option for me.”

Interestingly, Renard's sides beat Ghana on the road to winning Afcon on both occasions.

In 2012, Zambia handed Ghana 1-0 defeat in the semi-final, before they upset favourites Cote d'Ivoire on penalties in the final.

In 2015, Cote d'Ivoire beat Ghana on penalties in the final to win the tournament following a 0-0 draw after extra-time.

“The final in 2015 between [Cote d'Ivoire] and Ghana, I have never watched that game since,” Renard remarked.

“I only got to watch the game some three weeks ago and I think Ghana was the better side.

"Ghana played better and I think we were a bit lucky.”

Renard is currently the head coach of Saudi Arabia, having assumed duty after leaving Morocco following a disappointing Afcon campaign in Egypt last year.

Ghana has not won Afcon since 1982.

In 1992, the Black Stars finished second, losing to Cote d’Ivoire in a penalty shoot-out.

At South Africa 1996, Ghana reached the semi-finals again, this time placing fourth after falling to Zambia in the third-place play-off.

The West Africans finished third and second, respectively, in 2008 and 2010 before making consecutive fourth-placed appearances at Gabon/Equatorial Guinea in 2012 and South Africa 2013.

At Equatorial Guinea 2015, Ghana, under former Chelsea coach Avram Grant, came mighty close once again, this time losing to Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in the final.

In 2017, the Black Stars ended the tournament in fourth position but failed to make the quarter-finals of the championship for the first time since 2006 at Egypt 2019, where they succumbed to Tunisia on penalties in the Round of 16.