Serbian Ivan Jovanovic has been named coach of the UAE national football team.
The 57-year-old former midfielder replaces Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk, who was sacked earlier this month.
Jovanovic, who previously had two spells in charge of UAE side Al Nasr and won the GCC Champions League in 2014, will take charge as the UAE prepares for the ongoing Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Jovanovic’s first competitive match in charge of the UAE will be on March 26 at home when his side take on Malaysia, before playing Indonesia away five days later. They will conclude their campaign against Thailand and Vietnam on June 4 and 9 respectively.
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Transitional Committee of the UAE FA, said that Jovanovic was chosen for his “ambition for achievements” and his “full knowledge of the Emirati football”.
And he called on all sporting bodies, institutions, clubs, media and audiences to come together and adopt a “one team” spirit ahead of the upcoming matches.
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