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BAHRAIN football officials say they are delighted to have captured the services of Salman Sharida - one of the kingdom's most successful club coaches - from under the noses of other countries vying to snap him up.
They manoeuvered in front of several other interested parties including the Pakistan Football Federation which wanted to reignite their successful relationship with the Bahraini.
Sharida steps into the national hot seat after Austrian manager Josef Hickersberger left the kingdom high and dry only a few weeks before a major tournament in Yemen to take up a lucrative contract back with his former UAE club side, Al Wahda.
Bahrain Football Association vice president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said: "When it comes to work ethics there sometimes appears to be none in football.
"Hickersberger made a decision for his future which may be good for him but it didn't look positively on the Bahrain team. They (Al Wahda) probably gave him a better offer. Anyway, whatever his reasons for leaving, we respect that.
"For us, whoever joined the team had to be in it for the long haul. Our initial idea was to have Hickersberger here for two years and to help him to build a successful team."
When officials were hunting for a replacement for Milan Macala after the heartbreak of missing out on a place in the World Cup Finals in South Africa at the final play-off stage, big international managerial names were bandied about.
This time the focus, however, was closer to home and approaches were made to Sharida's club Al Arabi of the UAE to secure his contractual release.
Shaikh Ali said: "Sharida is one of the most experienced, successful coaches in the region and has achieved great things at club level.
"The federation appointed him because he is the most qualified and the best option at this point especially since we are short on time to prepare the team for important competitions ahead. We are confident of his ability and the players will respond well to him, especially since he was a former international midfielder himself.
"Our mission is to support the team and we believe Sharida is the right man for the job.
"Now more than ever we need the support of everyone. Our situation is not perfect but we are a strong team and we can compete. Our objective is to make a positive impression in the coming tournaments."
Sharida faces two massive challenges. He has to get the squad prepared for the 20th Gulf Cup contest which kicks off on November 22 in Yemen and the Asian Cup Finals in Doha in January.
Sharida arrived in Bahrain this week for meetings with officials and players and will shortly announce the names of his assistants. He represented Bahrain during the Asian Games in 1974 but his coaching prowess came to the fore when he guided the Al Muharraq Club to victory in the AFC Cup in 2008.
He also steered them to success in the Bahrain League as well as domestic cup competitions.
On the international stage Sharida was given charge of the Pakistan football team as part of a gesture of friendship between the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the BFA in 2005. That same year he helped its national team win two matches, against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan while holding the Maldives to a draw in the South Asian Football Federation's Gold Cup.
Under his charge, Pakistan also created an upset by beating Kyrgyzstan in the AFC Challenge Cup in 2006.
The country was hoping to woo him back for another spell. The PFF Secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi said: "We were expecting Sharida in Lahore. In our last conversation with him, he said that he will be coming here to discuss the terms and conditions of a new contract with us in November.
"But he did say that if his own country's football body beat us to the race too bad! There is little we can do now."
