A new manager has taken the reins of the UAE national football team ahead of a vital run of games in 2020.
Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic has been named as the new manager of the national side taking over from Dutch manager Bert Van Marwijk.
Jovanovic is no stranger to UAE football having previously managed UAE club side Al Nasr.
The UAE currently sits fourth in Group G of the second round of qualifying and will be aiming to turn their fortunes around in the coming fixtures.
First up for the new coach, his side will face Malaysia at home on March 26 before travelling to Indonesia for an away tie on March 31.
Then it will be matches against Thailand and Vietnam on June 4 and 9 that will seal the UAE’s fate in the group and determine progress through to the next round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“The national team is among the first priorities of the committee, because the goal is to compete and qualify for the decisive stage of the qualifiers and reach the World Cup 2022,” said Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Transitional Committee of the UAE FA.
The UAE has qualified for and participated in one FIFA World Cup in its history, back in 1990 in Italy.
During that tournament the UAE faced Colombia, West Germany and Yugoslavia, and finished bottom of the group.
We would love to see the UAE make the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In other football news, some of the world’s top footballers are coming to Dubai later this month.
