Henk ten Cate has been appointed the new coach of UAE League defending champions Al Ahli for the remainder of the season.

The 55-year-old Dutchman replaces Tunisian coach Noureddine Abidi and will be in the dugout for Al Ahli's next league match against Al Ain on Wednesday.

Ten Cate boasts a wealth of experience, having previously coached several big clubs in Europe, most recently Greek side Panathinaikos, while he was assistant coach at Barcelona and Chelsea.

Al Ahli, who will represent UAE in the 2010 Asian Champions League, are currently struggling in the UAE league in seventh place with 14 points.