Sad news: Former Senegalese Coach Bruno Metsu dies of Cancer

Bruno Metsu, the UAE’s 2007 Gulf Cup-winning
coach, died on Tuesday following a battle with
cancer. He was 59.
The Frenchman rose to fame when he led
Senegal to a surprise 1-0 victory over his
home country in the opening game of the 2002
FIFA World Cup.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer shortly
after replacing Argentine coach Diego
Maradona at Dubai’s Al Wasl club in July 2012,
but this was later said to have spread to his
lungs and liver. He passed away at a clinic in
his hometown of Coudekerque Village in
Northern France.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest
coaches in UAE football history, having won
both the national team’s first Gulf Cup in 2007
and the country’s first Asian Champions League
title with Al Ain in 2003.
He was a French footballer and later a coach.
Metsu’s playing career was largely based in his
native France, along with a spell in Belgium
with Anderlecht. After retiring as a player, he
took up the assistant manager post at his last
club, Beauvais, and by 1988, he became full-
time manager of the club.
He spent over a decade coaching in France
before his first foray into international
management
He was notable in Europe for coaching Senegal
to a surprise victory over France in the
opening match of the 2002 World Cup.
While working in the Middle East, he converted
from Christianity to Islam. He later named
himself Abdullah Metsu.
Metsu took over African national side Guinea
in 2000 before joining Senegal later that year.
He helped the side to a spot in the 2002 World
Cup, their first ever appearance in the
tournament, where they were expected to prop
up a group containing France, Denmark and
Uruguay.
Senegal pulled off a shock in the opening
match of the tournament, however, beating
defending World Cup and European champions
France 1–0.
Metsu’s side qualified from the group stage
and beat Sweden in the round of 16, earning
recognition as the first African side to reach
the quarterfinals since Cameroon in 1990.
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