The desert nation, which will host the World Cup in 2022,
was widely expected to hire a big-name coach who will be tasked with
overhauling a side ranked 90th in the FIFA world rankings. A replacement for
Metsu, who had a contract through 2014, was to be named in the next week.
Metsu has struggled since taking over in 2008 from Uruguayan
coach Jorge Fossati. The team missed out on the 2010 World Cup and last year
fell in the quarterfinal stage at the Gulf Cup, which sent its ranking tumbling
to 114th — its worst ever.
The country improved to 90th after its Asian Cup performance
but it was not enough to save the job of Metsu, a Frenchman who guided Senegal
to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
Qatar was praised for overcoming an opening loss to
Uzbekistan to reach the quarterfinals but Metsu also angered fans after his
team squandered a 2-1 lead against 10-man Japan.
“We thank him for his efforts. But we feel this is a time to
move on so we mutually agreed to end the contract,” Qatar Football Association
President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani said.
Metsu said it was difficult to build a team with so few
prospects in a country of 1.6 million.
“It is not easy to build a strong team when there is a small
player base in the country,” Metsu said. “But Qatar football is looking better
because they now have a 12-team league and that means more players and improved
infrastructure of football in the country.” Before taking over the Qatar
national team, Metsu coached in the country's professional football league.
Metsu is the latest coach to be fired by Qatar after failing
to impress at the Asian Cup. In 2004, Qatar fired Phillipe Troussier during the
Asian Cup in China.
