Few have experienced managerial peaks and troughs like Herve Renard. The chiseled Frenchman has repeatedly lurched from failure in the footballing backwaters of Cambridge and Vietnam to the supreme success of continental African titles. Both Renard’s career path and management style have been as volatile as they have been engaging but as Renard’s focus turns toward the stars of Morocco’s Atlas Lions this winter, it’s up to this enigmatic coach to prove that he still has the street-smarts and wherewithal to guide a talented group of players to a title they are long overdue once more.

“It was very amicable, it is something we didn’t want to do. But we have not got time for Renard’s philosophy to flow through to our team, given where we are in the league.” That league was the English fourth tier, League 2, and the club was Cambridge United. In December 2004 Cambridge sacked French manager Herve Renard, whose record of just 4 wins in 25 games had the Us 91st in the football league and, despite former chairman Gary Harwood’s decision to relieve Renard of his duties, Cambridge were relegated to the conference at the end of the season.

Libreville, Gabon, February 12th, the 2012 AFCON final. All fourteen spot kicks had been converted. Well into sudden death, Kolo Toure’s penalty was saved by Kennedy Mweene and Zambia had their chance. Nearly 20 years earlier, 30 people, including 18 members of the Zambia squad, were tragically lost as their plane crashed on the Gabonese capital’s shores as the team flew to Dakar for a USA 94 qualifier. Ever since, the word “Gabon” has been slang on the streets of the capital Lusaka for a dangerously dilapidated vehicle. Zambia, unbelievably, made the AFCON final a year later, losing 2-1 to Nigeria in Tunis. But now their opportunity had come to honor the memory of those lost. “We are going to this tournament to put the souls of our fallen heroes to rest,” said Mweene before the semi final win over Ghana.

With a chance to clinch the trophy, midfielder Rainford Kalaba blazed his penalty over. Agony for every Zambian fan. However, the despair was short lived as Arsenal’s Gervinho followed suit in skying his spot kick to leave center back Stopilla Sunzu to stroke home and end the contest. The Zambian nation went wild while the Ivory Coast, Africa’s Galacticos, were left distraught once again as their golden generation continued in underachievement. In the Zambian dugout, lifted aloft by his coaching staff, in a trademark pristine white shirt, was Herve Renard. Sacked at bottom of League 2 less than eight years previously, he was now the mastermind behind the greatest footballing upset Africa has ever witnessed. In typically nonchalant fashion, Renard explained: “I had this business when I was 29 years old, cleaning foyers and taking out dustbins. The match against Ivory Coast is so easy compared to those days.”

The Frenchman remarked that “if you work hard, you are likely to get successful one day. We did it because this country was amazing and that I will never forget. Every time they ask me what was my secret in Zambia, they ask that how can you win the Africa Cup with a team nobody knew? But I tell them that that’s not true because Zambia was a very good team. It was my destiny.” Having to work ‘hard’ was an understatement. Renard had resigned after the previous competition before being reinstated in 2011, the Zambian FA themselves had only recently acquired a stadium fit for international competition (a gift from China) while their squad was made up almost entirely of players based in African leagues. But Renard, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Game of Thrones’ Jamie Lannister, deflected the spotlight, instead referring to the air disaster of 1993: “It was nothing to do with me. I said to the players, ‘You know there is something – we play first against Senegal and the plane was going to Senegal, and the final is in Libreville, where the plane was leaving from.’ I can’t explain it: it was written.”

Destiny aside, Renard is an undoubted professor of African football. Three years later he became the first foreign coach to win the Cup of Nations with two separate countries, finally helping the Ivory Coast achieve that which their golden generation of Drogba and the Toure brothers could not in the preceding two decades by winning the continent’s top honor in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, after an equally enthralling shoot-out win over Ghana. Renard is at least partially correct, however, he can’t take all the credit for his African prowess.

Upon his arrival in Cambridge, Renard in truth took the title of assistant manager. Despite running the day to day affairs and taking training, the position of ‘manager’ belonged to fellow Frenchman and African journeyman coach, Claude LeRoy. Although LeRoy’s appearances in Cambridge were sparse, eventually leaving to take over at DR Congo, having worked together previously in Vietnam and beyond, Renard has long considered LeRoy his mentor: “He has given me so much in my life and not just in football, but how to evolve as a man.” he explained as Renard’s Morocco side were drawn with the LeRoy led Togo in the coming competition. “I think I will need a lot of time to speak just of the good things that Claude has brought to my life.” explained Renard.

LeRoy has managed 5 African teams, taking them all to the knockout stages of Nation’s Cups, preaching an immersive philosophy which, unlike a number of foreign coaches of African nations, dictated that LeRoy would live and work from the country which he managed, rather than just showing up during international breaks to coach a bit and pick up the cheque. This is something that Renard now follows, leading to a greater understanding of the nation and it’s culture, footballing or otherwise. LeRoy told the Guardian that “you are 23 times a different coach to them [your squad] depending on the background, the socio-cultural education of the player; their culture, their life, their footballing habits. You have to be clever and smart, and manage a player depending on his sensibilities. That’s what I am passionate about. Point by point, some faces, some smiles, some eyes. If you have good relations you don’t forget them. I love this continent and the people.”

Although Claude LeRoy’s influence has clearly been pivotal in Renard’s success, his own individualized management style has been equally crucial in his pair of AFCON triumphs but also in his repeated failure at club level. Beyond his charisma and good looks, Renard is a strict disciplinarian, both on the pitch and in the dressing room. The fact that before the 2012 tournament, Renard sent Zambia forward Clifford Mulenga home for refusing to apologize after breaking the manager’s curfew being a case in point. Renard’s discipline can often spill over into an oddly aggressive style of managerial attitude, striking defender Davies Nkausu during the 2012 final in the chest for not marshaling Gervinho as instructed while, during his ill-fated spell at Lille in 2015, fellow Zambian Sunzu, scorer of that winning penalty, was handed similarly rough treatment as he was sent off during a 1-1 draw at Guingamp.

This forceful demeanor suits international football where time with players is limited and organisation is key. Players rarely have the chance to learn and evolve in tandem or to understand each other’s games as clubmates do, making clear organisation and a strict defensive plan (an area in which Renard also thrives) crucial in building a platform for success. At club level, however, this policy can become tiresome and often breeds hostility. As Lille slipped toward the bottom three, with Renard’s iteration of Les Dogues lacking pace and guile while repeatedly failing to perpetuate any sort of attacking rhythm (both AFCON finals were won on pens after 0-0 draws, remember), division became increasingly apparent. Renard reportedly had to step between the mercurial Sofiane Boufal and striking partner Junior Tallo during halftime against Nantes as the two men came close to blows, while he took the bizarre route of heavily criticizing his side following a rare win.

After just 13 league games in charge and despite the considerable fanfare upon his arrival as Lille hovered just above the bottom three, Renard was ushered through the LOSC exit door. Further underlining his lack of form at club level, Renard’s standout domestic ‘success’ came with Sochaux, who were relegated from Ligue 1 under his direction. Renard took over at the Eastern club in October 2013 after a solitary win in their first 9 games. Despite praise for Renard’s tactical approach and one or two astute acquisitions, an all or nothing tie with fellow relegation candidates Evian on the final day saw a Daniel Wass inspired 3-0 win for Pascal Dupraz’s outfit. Sochaux went down and have yet to return.

Despite his often fiery nature and lack of staying power, Renard’s tournament nouce is clearly well tuned; carefully drilling individuals in their responsibilities, getting the best out of his teams in short bursts and stressing the need to prepare as a group and early as possible. Telling World Soccer in 2012: “If you left the Zambian players to their own devices, the whole team would just join the attack. They love to play all the time. So we have to try to keep their style, stay organised at the same time and use the experience from 2010. The side have been together for a long time but without any big stars like many of the other teams. The star is the team.”

Renard takes charge of dangerous looking Morocco side as the AFCON moves to Gabon this January awash with exciting, technically gifted talent. His issue here, polar-opposed to Zambia, and much more akin to his Lille side, is egos. Even Renard’s triumphant Ivory Coast side was released from the domineering presence of Didier Drogba for their 2015 triumph. It will be Renard’s task to find away to utilize his rigid style and workmanlike attitude with this constellation of tricky wingers and jinking midfielders. If he can, Morocco could threaten the latter stages, if not, they could spectacularly implode and their 40 year wait for an African title will rumble on. However, it may now be time for the man himself to adapt his style to suit his latest charges if Renard’s winning smile and crisp white shirt are to leave Libreville victorious once again.