Abu Dhabi: UAE Pro League side Al Wahda announced the appointment of Dutchman Maurice Steijn as their new head coach on Sunday.
The 45-year old replaces his countryman Henk ten Cate who resigned from the post last month citing “personal reasons”.
Steijn, a former player, joins Al Wahda from Dutch clubside VVV-Venlo.
The Al Wahda board had immediately made an announcement that Ten Cate’s successor would also be from the Netherlands, and following a swift recruitment process, the former VVV Venlo boss was installed at the hot seat at Al Nahyan Stadium.
Official Statement | Maurice Steijn
Al Wahda Football Club Company signed with the Dutch football manager Maurice Steijn “46 years old” for a year as a renewable contract to take over the management of the football team successor of Henk Ten Cate the previous manager of Al Wahda pic.twitter.com/49GP8WVoI5
— AlWahda FC الوØدة (@AlWahdaFCC) June 9, 2019
Steijn’s first test in charge of the Abu Dhabi side will be a two-legged clash with Saudi Pro League champions Al Nassr at the 2019 AFC Champions League Round of 16. Al Wahda travel to Riyadh for the first leg on August 5, then play hosts to the return fixture a week later.
Under Ten Cate, Al Wahda had finished fourth in the UAE Pro League, booking a place at the 2020 AFC Champions League. They also finished top of their continental group ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad.
Source: the-afc.com