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 Soccer chiefs debate Parreira recall
    October 25 2009 at 03:00PM Get IOL on your
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By Nkareng Matshe and Reuters

Carlos Alberto Parreira on Saturday promised South African fans that he and Bafana Bafana had an obligation in getting through the group stages of next year's World Cup.

The Brazilian, who was named South Africa's head coach after a marathon five-hour meeting of the Safa national executive committee on Friday, has already split the country's feelings following his appointment.

There are many who believe the Brazilian did not prove himself during his first stint with Bafana before famously walking out early last year and feeling is that the post should have gone to somebody local like Clive Barker, Gavin Hunt or Jomo Sono, all three recently appointed as the team's assessors.
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'Parreira has been to many World Cups but he started this Bafana team'
A Safa NEC member who attended Friday's decisive meeting said Saaturday Parreira's rehiring was not plain-sailing, as debate raged on because certain members favoured a local coach.

"Some (NEC members) needed a lot of convincing on why we should not go with a local coach. We debated the matter until we agreed it would be dangerous to start the process afresh when we're just eight months away from the World Cup. Parreira has been to many World Cups but he started this Bafana team. He's got no stage fright, so we decided the was the most suitable candidate," the NEC informer said.

Parreira, who agreed to take the job on a reduced salary of around R1,5-million per month, arrives in the country on November 5 and should take charge of the team when they take on Japan on November 14 (Orlando Stadium). He still holds a South African work permit that expires after the World Cup.

Speaking to Brazilian media on Saturday, Parreira said he understood that when a country organised a World Cup the home fans were emotional and irrational.

"The best thing is to get as close to the final as possible but our obligation is to reach the second phase. Then, the sky's the limit, they are knockout matches, anything can happen."

'I already know the players, the style, the work'
He will have the squad for a month in January when the local league shuts down to allow for a training camp. Further camps are planned for Brazil and Germany in the build-up to the month-long finals.

His contract runs until after the 2010 finals following which a local coach will be appointed to the job, according to Safa president Kirsten Nematandani.

The 66-year-old Parreira was first approached in 2006 to build a competitive side for South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup finals but quit after 21 matches in charge in April 2008 when his wife fell ill with cancer.

He returned to Rio de Janeiro to tend to her, recommending Santana in his place.

But Santana had little of the charisma of his compatriot and after 17 months was sacked this week after South Africa lost eight of their last nine matches and looked a listless team some eight months before the start of the World Cup.

Parreira, however, promised he would complete the job favourably. "It was a job we started three years ago," said Parreira. "Unfortunately, for family reasons, I had to interrupt it but now they (South Africa) have resumed that project.

"I was only able to accept, and only accepted, because I'm not going to start the job from zero," he told Brazilian TV.

"There's very little time left for the World Cup but the job had already begun, I already know the players, the style, the work... Without doubt that will help with this resumption."

Parreira was a World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994 and also in charge of his country's campaign at the last finals in 2006. He was also in charge of Kuwait in 1982, the United Arab Emirates in 1990 and Saudi Arabia in 1998.

His rehiring ended a dramatic week in South African football which saw several local coaches campaigning openly for the job. Reports that Sono would be appointed as Parreira's technical director have been dismissed as baseless. "Sono will remain as one of the assessors - that's it," a Safa insider said.



    • This article was originally published on page 24 of Sunday Independent on October 25, 2009
Showing page 1 of 2 comment pages, 11 total comments
3 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
Parreira is only hear for money, he failed before and he is gonna fail again. SAFA is failing us....
3 Weeks ago Gee wrote :
I dont believe in miracles and again there won't be new zealand & irag in our group.meaning RSA will be the only midiocre and weakest link in all 32 teams. Who are we going to beat to reach the next round? Perreira is here for the moolah...............period
3 Weeks ago Alberto wrote :
i believe it is the first time they have made a correct decision,, not 100% correct but close enough.... i still believe Mr Barker should be assitant coach. all i say,lets all start believing in the team,lets all be positive ,encourage all the palyers and coach...the newspapers as well,just print positive stories ...all the positive vibes can only bring some success, at least second round... ALL THE BEST TO ALL CONCERN
3 Weeks ago Bra-Mlu wrote :
Too late to cry...lets just accept the situation and move on. I just wish he changes the squad starting with getting of the captain downwards. He must find better performing players and grrom them.
3 Weeks ago Winner wrote :
South Africa will do well in the world cup blaming SAFA or pointing fingers won't help, the best thing to do is to support the team , the coach and rally behind the team, pray for them, speak well of them complaining and swearing is just not good So please people realign your energy in the right direction, God is on our side , it doesn't matter who is coaching we'll overcome
3 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
I AM EDWIN CHOKWE.SINCE THEN I'VE REALISED THAT SAFA MANAGEMENT IS WEAK AND PLANLESS.COZ PARRERIRA IS UNPREDICTABLE COACH WHO IS CARELESS OF BAFANA BAFANA BUT CAREFUL ABOUT SALARY HE WILL GET FROM SAFA ORGANISATION.WHAT IF HE RESIGN AGAIN NEXT TIME BECAUSE OF HIS FAMILY PROBLEMS?.AGAIN IS THAT EVERY BODY(EVEN THE ANIMALS) IS PREPARED FOR 2010 WOLD CUP BUT SAFA IS NOT.GUYS IF YOU WORK TOGETHER YOU WILL ACHIEVE A LOT IN FOOTBALL ORGANISATION.
3 Weeks ago sbudda wrote :
parreirra must go back to brazil coz he is here for the business not for the love of the country .Safa must start to believe in local coaches who know our local football and who know the players well , who can communicate in a proper way with players . I think it is time to believe in our local coaches coz the foreign coaches they fail to deliver what it takes so we need to give our local coaches a chance to prove themselves
3 Weeks ago Nathi Mpanza wrote :
I think SAFA is the weakest link in the South African football society as they keep failing us because they do not care what we have to say. All they do is tell us their conclusions and we have to be patriotic for people we know they are not gonna beat even Japan . The reality is if we were not the hosts everybody knows we were not going to qualify since these days we cant even qualify for AFCON .
3 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
Lets admit the realities here There is know S.A coach that can lead Bafana at this stage, i would prefer Pitso, Radebe, Tovey after 2010, not Hunt, Egusand, jomo.
3 Weeks ago ChiefNash wrote :
To Anonymous. When are we ever going to have coaches that are big enough for the stage if we keep hiring international coaches at very expensive prize tags. We hav all agreed that this 2010 edition of the world cup is going to be a learning experience not only for RSA but for the whole of Africa. Infact it is a learning experience for the whole world because this is the first one in Africa nad the world will learn things about Africa that they never knew. That being said, why didnt we put in a local coach that will learn also how it is to be at a big stage? Personally I dont mind international coaches, but theior hearts have to be in the right place and the coach has to be the right coach for the country. Parreira could not win the world cup with a talented side like Brazil in 2006, how then can he take Bafana to glory. Some might say he won the world cup in 1994 and ConFed cup 2005, but that counts for nothing when it comes to spending money on a border line coach like Parrera. We might as well get a low priced coach who will do the same job but even better, gain experience from that.
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