HANOI — Frenchman Bruno Metsu acted every bit le grand fromage as he held court in front of journalists in the lobby of the Hanoi Sheraton after his press conference on Thursday.

The curly coiffed coach, a dead ringer for crooner Michael Bolton circa 1990, obviously loves the limelight, and his Gallic posturing, shiny suits and jewelry all add to the image of man who thinks he's the bee's knees.

But the coach is not all style over substance. He famously guided Senegal to the quarterfinals of the Japan-Korea World Cup five years ago — his men stunned the world with a 1-0 win over holders France in the opening match — after leading the team to the African Nations Cup final earlier that year.

After the World Cup, he won the AFC Champions League with United Arab Emirate team Al Ain in 2003, before securing the Qatar league title with Al Gharafa in 2005. Most recently, he led the UAE to victory in the Gulf Cup for the first time in January.

There is, though, one man at the Asian Cup finals who Metsu bows down to and that is Japan coach Ivica Osim or "The Professor" as the UAE coach calls the Bosnian.

The affectionate nickname goes back to their time spent playing together at French League club Valenciennes in the 1970s, when the then-veteran Osim took Metsu under his wing.

"Osim was a professor for us," said Metsu. "I was a young player and he was the same as a player as he is as a coach always explaining about football. He is a great man and a kind man."

Osim had earlier put aside thoughts of Friday's game against the UAE to fondly remember the one season they spent together.

"I was 35 at the time and it was my duty to help him," the coach said.

Help him he did, and the Bosnian will see tomorrow by how much when master and apprentice lock horns in a must-win match for both teams.

Metsu, like Osim, is under the cosh after the UAE lost 2-0 to cohost Vietnam in their Group B opener on Sunday although the laid-back Frenchman hardly sounded like a man feeling the pressure as he chatted genially with reporters.

That is, after he tore his attention away from a pretty Japanese reporter.

"I know you, I remember you," Metsu purred to the woman.

"I believe in me and I trust in me," said the Frenchman, oozing confidence. (He was now talking about his coaching ability.)

"For me confidence is not a problem. I can still look in the mirror and it's not a problem for me."

"We have five regular players injured at the moment," he said. "It's a young team and this tournament is a good first step. Our team has a very good future.

"I'm not worried about the result, more the performance. The press has a job to do. When you win you're a great team and when you lose you're bad," Metsu shrugged.

"If everybody is happy I'm okay. If not I will make my job elsewhere and make my bed."