Dominque Bathenay last night emerged as the frontrunner to replace Bruno Metsu as the coach of the UAE national team.
The Frenchman, 54, who worked as assistant under Metsu before his resignation on Sunday, was in talks with the UAE Football Association to finalise a contract.
Bathenay was caretaker coach before Metsu's appointment, following Dick Advocaat's move to take control of South Korea in 2005. The former France international was the Olympic team coach prior to that, and is now preparing for a second stint in the top role.
He will inherit a side bottom of Group 1 in the final stage of Asian qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Despite defeats against North Korea and Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi, Yousuf Abdullah, the secretary general of the FA, said the Emirates can still claim an unlikely spot in South Africa. "We are not the first national team to lose a coach [in the middle of a campaign], and it is not the first time for us," he said.
"It keeps happening in the world of football. That's life.
"We hope it will be a good thing for us this time. We hope the new coach will be ready to fight.
"There are still 18 points to fight for. I believe if we can win 10 from 18 then we have a chance of qualifying."
The FA moved quickly to replace Metsu after his surprise decision to quit on Sunday.
Juma Rabea was their first choice but they turned to Bathenay after the coach of the national youth team turned them down.
They also considered the Al Shabab manager Toninho Cerezo, Al Ain's Winfried Schaefer and Al Ahli's boss Ivan Hasek after quickly establishing they wanted a coach who had knowledge of the country.
Bathenay's first game as coach will be a friendly against Japan in Osaka on Oct 9.
The game will be his only one before the World Cup qualifier against South Korea in Seoul six days later.
The Emirates will then host Iran on Nov 19, meaning Bathenay's first two competitive games will be against two of the toughest teams in the group.
If they are to secure a finals place in South Africa, they cannot afford two more defeats.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
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Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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