Zico, Rijkaard walk Asian qualifying tightrope

Enticed to the Middle East by bumper contracts and the intrigue of new frontiers, Zico and Frank Rijkaard head a list of elite coaches whose reputations are on the line in Asia's 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Iraq coach Zico and his Saudi Arabia counterpart Rijkaard reflect the changing sporting landscape of a region thrust into the global spotlight by Qatar's sensational victory in the race to host the 2022 World Cup.

The prospect of a first ever World Cup in the region has fired local imaginations, and high-profile coaches with European experience have been among the most notable beneficiaries.

Zico and Rijkaard are both tied to lucrative salaries, while former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz's contract at the helm of the Iran national team is worth around $2 million a year.

Neither Zico, Rijkaard nor Queiroz has ever coached in the region before and all inherited teams are bruised by disappointment at the Asian Cup, where Iran and Iraq fell in the last eight and the Saudis limped out in the group phase.

The opening two matchdays in round three of the labyrinthine Asian qualifying tournament served to confirm the region's competitiveness, with Australia and Jordan the only sides from the five four-team groups to win both games.

Furthermore, for coaches new to the region, working in the Middle East presents a unique array of challenges.

Iraq, for instance, must play all their future home matches in Qatar, after FIFA decreed that facilities in the recently war-torn nation were unfit for international football.

The Lions of Mesopotamia lost 2-0 at home to Jordan in their first Group A fixture on September 2, but the game in Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region was marred by a pre-match power cut and fears of over-crowding.

Iraq subsequently got their qualifying campaign in gear with a 2-0 win in Singapore but Zico, who was only appointed in late August, was less than impressed with the state of the hosts' synthetic pitch.

"It's not professional. World Cup qualifiers should be played on natural grass," complained the 58-year-old, the star of Brazil's feted 1982 World Cup side.

Incoming coaches can also encounter problems when they attempt to introduce fresh tactical ideas to teams with well-established playing systems and player hierarchies.

Rijkaard led Barcelona to the 2006 Champions League by deploying his trademark 4-3-3 formation, but efforts to use a similar system with Saudi Arabia have proved problematic.

The Dutchman risked the wrath of the fans by benching talismanic captain Yasser Al Qahtani for the visit of Australia last month and saw his decision backfire as the hosts fell to a 3-1 loss that left them joint-bottom of Group D.

French coach Paul Le Guen's start to life at the helm of Oman has not been plain sailing either, and he lamented his squad's physical condition after a 3-0 loss in Thailand.

"The physical fitness of our players has been very, very poor," he said, before acknowledging that the after-effects of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan were "difficult for all Arab teams".

With 10 places available in the fourth and final round of Asian qualifying, there remains some margin for error, but football federations in the region are renowned for their hair-trigger hiring and firing.

Back-to-back defeats for the United Arab Emirates saw Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec bundled through the exit door last month.

Rijkaard's predecessor Jose Pereiro, meanwhile, was sacked after just one match at January's Asian Cup in Qatar.

"Coaching is about adaptation," reflected Queiroz after being appointed in April. "If you can't adapt, then you cannot work."

In the curious pressure-cooker of the Middle Eastern football scene, truer words have rarely been spoken.