Kwok Ka-ming has been entrusted with the task of leading the territory's qualifying campaign for the 1998 World Cup in France.
In a surprise move, the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) last night announced that Kwok would become national coach, a position he vacated in 1990 after the Asian Games.
The former Hong Kong international beat three other candidates for the job - South Korean Kang Man-young, Australian Boris Vizelman, a former senior coach of the Ukrainian national team, and former Exeter assistant manager and ex-South China striker Trevor Morgan.
HKFA chairman Victor Hui said Kwok, who is head coach of the Hong Kong Sports Institute, was the most suitable man for the job.
'He will be in charge of the 25-man squad for a year and will begin work as soon as he signs his contract. We have borrowed him from the Hong Kong Sports Institute, and he will be in charge for next year's Hong Kong-Guangdong Cup, the World Cup and any other international matches.' Kwok, 47, reached the pinnacle of his coaching career when he led the territory to a memorable 2-1 win over China in a World Cup qualifying clash in Beijing before 80,000 spectators. He had taken up the post since 1982 but was sacked after the 1990 Asian Games because the Hong Kong FA wanted a foreign coach.
The win over China remains Hong Kong's best result in international football - but it also sparked riots among Chinese fans angered by the defeat.
Hong Kong have a tough World Cup campaign, starting in February against Thailand and South Korea in the Asian Group Six qualifiers.