Frank Rijkaard and Zico head a list of elite coaches whose reputations are on the line in Asia's 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Saudi Arabia coach Rijkaard and his Iraq counterpart Zico 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. Neither Zico, Rijkaard nor Queiroz has ever coached in the region before and all inherited teams 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 Sept. 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. 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 it joint-bottom of Group D. — Agencies Tuesday's matches: Group A: At Singapore – Singapore vs Jordan. At Shenzhen – China vs Iraq. Group B: At Beirut – Lebanon vs Kuwait. At Suwon – South Korea vs UAE. Group C: At Pyongyang – North Korea vs Uzbekistan. At Osaka – Japan vs Tajikistan. Group D: At Bangkok – Thailand vs Saudi Arabia. At Sydney – Australia vs Oman. Group E: At Jakarta – Indonesia vs Qatar. At Tehran – Iran v Bahrain.
