Former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson will take charge of Glentoran for the first time on Friday night when they face Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine at the Showgrounds.
The match, broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, comes six days later than originally scheduled after Glentoran's weekend fixture against Ballymena United was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Ferguson attended Coleraine's 5-0 win over 10-man Crusaders at Seaview to scout the opposition, who have won four consecutive matches since their only defeat of the season and hold a two-point lead over Linfield.
Glentoran sit 14 points behind Coleraine but are unbeaten in their last five league games, a run that includes four wins and a draw under interim managers Tim McCann and Paddy McCourt, lifting them to fourth place.
Ferguson, who previously had short managerial spells at Forest Green Rovers and Inverness, has emphasized a high‑energy approach, wanting his team to 'really run, run and run' and to play more attacking football despite having the joint best defensive record in the league with only 10 goals conceded in 12 matches.
The return of striker Pat Hoban from injury should bolster a Glentoran attack that has scored just 16 goals this season, 15 fewer than Coleraine.
Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins acknowledged that his side might become a 'sideshow' given the attention surrounding Ferguson's debut, but both teams are focused on a crucial early‑season clash.
