The Al Wasl club says Metsu signed a two-year contract Tuesday and will join the team next week. Financial terms were not disclosed. The hiring comes a week after Al Wasl fired Maradona a year before his contract ended.

The Argentine great brought much-needed attention to the United Arab Emirates league, but was unable to turn around Al Wasl. The club finished eighth in the 12-team league last season.

Metsu has worked with several clubs in the emirate. Before coming to the Gulf, he reached quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup with Senegal.

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