Karela United coach, Johnson Smith is all but rejoining former club Asante Kotoko for a third stint.
Smith previously worked as second-in-command to four coaches between 2008 and 2010.
The quite experienced gaffer was around during the glory and gloomy days of Bashir Hayford, Maurice Cooreman, Herbert Addo and Paa Kwesi Fabin.
Johnson Smith later moved on to lower-tier clubs like Eleven Wise, Berekum Arsenals and Bibiani Gold Stars before a remarkable spell with Karela United. He took charge of the Aiyinase-based club in February 2017 and was an instant success, guiding them to Premier League promotion at the first ask.
Footy-Ghana.com understands that a return to Kotoko has been on the cards for the past three months now.
And things look clearer now after Johnson Smith held negotiations with the club’s management last Friday. He looks set to be named the first assistant to head coach Kjetil Zachariassen who came under fire after the Porcupines exited the Caf Champions League.
Flashback
During Kotoko’s Confederation Cup campaign in 2008, while deputizing coach Bash, he had to lead the team for their group game away to El Merreikh in Sudan after management had asked his boss to step aside following the infamous 2-2 home draw with Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in Kumasi.
But Smith, who had an eye for the substantive job, was yanked off with some compensation about a year later (October 2009) when Kotoko opted to appoint Paa Kwesi Fabin as head coach. Fabin preferred ex-international Yaw Acheampong to Smith as his assistant.
But five months later (March 2010), Kotoko recalled Johnson Smith after they had relieved Acheampong from his assistant role. Kotoko were threatened with relegation under Fabin.
In April 2010, he would take over as interim head coach after the sack of Paa Kwesi Fabin and managed to steer the club to a respectable position in the Ghana Premier League.
