Darren Stewart has been appointed head coach of the Maldivian national football team, succeeding Ricki Herbert as his predecessor.
According to local football governing body FAM, the 50-year-old Aussie's appointment was backed by its technical committee. He will be taking over the position starting August, ahead of the playoff against Laos and September 6 and October 11.
ESPN FC quoted Stweart as saying, "Somebody recommended me... I am not sure who it was, but when the job was offered I accepted it straight away because chances like this don't come along very often."
"I'm under no illusions that I need to get a positive result in the playoff to stay on in the role. It adds pressure but I have no problem with that," he added.
Having spent a decade and a half in Singapore, Stewart is a former head coach with S.League clubs Gombak United, Balestier Khalsa and Woodlands Wellington. Since leaving Woodlands at the end of 2014, he's worked mostly as a junior coach for Little League Soccer in Singapore
He played in Australia's National Soccer League for more than a decade for clubs including Apia-Leichhardt and Blacktown City and was a key player for Johor in the Malaysia Super League. He finished his career with Balestier Khalsa in the S. League in 2001.