By Karyn Maughan and Jonty Mark
Football bosses kept Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's decision to quit under wraps for weeks - despite on Monday insisting that the resignation was "not a crisis".
And the South African Football Association is adamant that it will not reveal when it actually intended to tell South Africa about Parreira's departure, now scheduled for less than a fortnight's time.
Last week, Safa CEO Raymond Hack vehemently denied knowledge of Parreira's resignation.
"This is all news to me," Hack told the media.
But Safa president Molefi Oliphant yesterday revealed that the Brazilian had made his intentions to leave clear to Hack on April 4 and had confirmed his position to Oliphant himself three days later.
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Parreira made it clear that his last day as South Africa's coach would be on May 2.
It was, however, up to Parreira's ailing wife Leila to tell South Africa about the situation, forcing Safa to formally announce the coach's resignation yesterday afternoon.
At the media conference, Parreira explained his decision, saying he had spent 19 years outside Brazil. During this time, he was able to keep a balance between work and home.
"And now, because of so many reasons, I could not keep this, my focus - My family need me, especially my wife needs me near her, together with her. After 36 years of marriage, I cannot say no."
The Star has established that Bafana's players themselves learnt of their coach's resignation through the media and, in the case of several overseas players, SMS contact from friends.
Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena said he was aware of the resignation only because Parreira had personally phoned him.
Oliphant insisted that the secrecy had been necessary.
"We had to manage this from the 4th of April so that by the time we came to announce (Parreira's resignation), everything was in place.
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