Coach Bauza will pen new chapter, says UAE FA boss
dubai — UAE Football Association president Marwan bin Ghalita has backed new coach Edgardo Bauza to carry on from where Mahdi Ali left and is confident that the Argentine will guide the team to a better future.
The 59-year-old Bauza was presented to the media at the UAE FA Headquarters at Al Khawaneej on Thursday night after the former Argentina coach penned a two-year deal with secretary general Ibrahim Hassan Al Nemer, earlier in the day. Bauza, who replaced Mahdi after the Emirati tactician stepped down following the loss to Australia in World Cup qualifying, will be at the helm until the AFC Asian Cup in 2019, on home soil.
“We will build on the successes achieved in the previous phase and take advantage of that, to lead the white ship to sail again,” said Marwan bin Ghalita.
The UAE FA chief also thanked Mahdi and his support staff for the work put in so far and said that they would look to build on that and start a new chapter with Bauza.
“We thank coach Mahdi Ali and his staff for their efforts and achievements over the past period, and we hope to benefit from their experience in other tasks,” he added. Mahdi, who oversaw this generation of footballers through the Under-16s, Under-20 and Under-23 ranks, helped the latter qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. And although they drew with Senegal and lost their other two fixtures to Uruguay and Great Britain, their brand of football made people sit up and take notice.
After being handed the top job, Mahdi guided the UAE to victory in the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations and an impressive third place finish the AFC Asian Cup in Australia in 2015. The Whites negotiated their way through to the third round of World Cup qualifying and had begun well with a shock win against heavyweights Japan. And although they beat Thailand and Iraq, the twin defeats to Australia and as well as losses to Saudi Arabia and Japan, has left their Russian dream hanging by a thread.
The UAE are currently fourth in Group B with three wins and four defeats and have three fixtures remaining.
Marwan said that he was surprised by Mahdi’s decision to step down as the UAE FA had wanted him to continue. And faced with the new situation, Marwan said that negotiations with Bauza went smoothly and as planned.
“The negotiations with Bauza proceeded as planned and the process was smooth between the UAE FA and him,” Marwan said.
The FA boss revealed that Bauza was open to the suggestion of having an assistant coach within the support staff and also said that Bauza will not be judged based on the remaining three World Cup qualifying fixtures alone and his long term focus will be on the AFC Asian Cup in 2019. Marwan also said that Bauza’s work will also entail working with the youth teams and keeping a watch on their development.
He also said Bauza were aware of the goals that lay in front of him.
“We are the third best team in Asia and we have won the Gulf Cup of Nations. The size of the challenge will be great. We are also looking to do well in the AFC Asian Cup especially as we host it at home. The next Gulf Cup of Nations is also our focus apart from the rest of the three World Cup qualifiers,” he said.
james@khaleejtimes.com