Forgotten Rangers star returns to previous management role after five-year absence
RANGERS fans have seen one former favourite leave African football management - only for another to step up a week later.
Or should that be BACK.
Madjid Bougherra left his role as Algeria A boss last week.
But the ex-Gers contingent in the continent's football management wasn't depleted for long. One week to be exact.
Just seven days later Bougherra's short-lived Ibrox team-mate Daniel Cousin answered the call of his home nation Gabon - and reprised his role as general manager of the national team.
Cousin was a one-season wonder at Rangers and left just two games into season 2008-09 - Bougherra's first in Scotland.
But he was a popular figure and signed off with an action-packed display against Celtic - netting in a 4-2 Old Firm triumph and also being sent off.
He also tamed Lyon in a memorable European night but was again ordered off in the nerve-shredding semi-final win over Fiorentina that eventually sent the Gers to Manchester and the Uefa Cup Final.
But after hanging up his boots Cousin took up a position with the Gabon national team, initially spending four years as general manager and then six months as team boss.
He left in spring 2019 and took up low-level boss roles in the south of France and was planning to specialise as a striker coach, training in the country's centre of excellence at Clairefontaine.
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But his country called and Cousin is back in the international fold.
In a wide-ranging shake-up Gabon has named a new national set-up of 18 staff - mostly former internationals - with the ex-Gers ace back in as General Manager.
He'll work alongside deputy Eric Mouloungui and team boss Thierry Mouyouma.
And he won't be far away if they need a shooting specialist after Cousin's classes as a coach earlier this year.
He explained: "I chose to do this training because already I was a striker and now I want to pass that on.
"There are a lot of clubs in the future - which will include professional clubs or even others - who will start to take an interest in precisely recruiting coaches who train for the specific positions on the pitch."
While it's back to the future for the frontman, Madjid Bougherra is on the lookout for his next move.
He quit as boss of Algeria's A squad - the senior national team made up of only domestic players.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Bougherra said: "The desire to continue my learning as a coach would lead me to leave my position as coach of the national team of local players, with the aim of being active on a daily basis, competition continues.
"Considering the lack of short-term deadlines, particularly in view of the postponement of the qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024) announced by the African Football Confederation a few days ago, the time has come for me to embark on a new challenge.
"It was an honour to have been, for three years, the coach of the national team of local players and to serve my country. Three years which were full, both in terms of challenges through the 2021 Fifa Arab Cup, and the 2022 African Nations Championship in Algeria, as well as in terms of results and emotions."
Many former colleagues wished Bougherra well in the comments - just as Ally McCoist did.
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The Ibrox legend was assistant manager to Walter Smith during Bougherra's time at Rangers.
He said: "I hope you are well my friend."
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