Renowned Bafana coach-in-waiting Carlos Alberto Parreira is in South Africa ”to polish soccer diamonds” so that South Africa can assemble a successful team for the 2010 World Cup tournament.
”But,” warned the former Brazil World Cup coach in a no-nonsense statement to the local media on Tuesday, ”if the diamonds remain underground, if the machinery is not in place to mine them, they are of no value and there is no way the objective can be achieved.”
In order to bring the ”soccer diamonds” to the surface, Parreira stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive development programme to be introduced by the South African Football Association (Safa) immediately so that players can emerge through the ranks by 2010.
On the controversial issue of his monthly package, which amounts to a cost of R1,8-million for Safa, Parreira said he was not in South Africa to cause unhappiness or divisions.
”If this is a problem,” he added, ”I am ready to leave right away. I am not here principally for the money.”
And, in this context, it was confirmed that Parreira had received more lucrative offers than the one from Safa, but had rejected them in order to accept the challenging, special task of building the Bafana team for the historic first World Cup competition in Africa.
The articulate 63-year-old Parreira, who guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title and has a good command of English, emphasised he would begin a 46-month contract to coach Bafana from January 1 of next year.
He will attend the vital 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier against Zambia on October 7, but strictly as an observer. ”I will be there to gather information for the future,” he added, ”not to interfere in the work of the incumbent coach.”
Parreira did, however, make several pronouncements he thought could be tackled immediately and were vital to Bafana’s 2010 World Cup campaign.
”Firstly,” he said, ”the PSL rule on foreign players could be adjusted to three per team so that more South Africans have the opportunity of displaying their wares at a higher level. Secondly, junior competitions for players from the ages of 16 to 20 must be introduced and properly organised in order for the existing talent to surface.”
On the issue of wayward players like Benni McCarthy, who have been accused of placing their own interests ahead of Bafana, Parreira said he would tackle the matter once he was in harness.
”But if a player is not prepared to offer his heart and soul to the national team while motivated by playing in a World Cup on home soil,” he added, ”he is no good to me — or Bafana.”
Parreira said he regards the appointment of a suitable Bafana captain as key to his planning.
”Carlos Dunga, who has succeeded me as the Brazilian coach,” said Parreira, ”was my captain when we won the World Cup in 1994 and performed an invaluable function.”
Parreira said he will try to imprint the fundamental principles of Brazilian soccer philosophy on Bafana, such as retaining possession, improvisation and ultimate technique. ”But you can’t ask Africans to play exactly like Brazilians,” he added. ”Africans must play like Africans.”
He said he was aware that Bafana had 13 coaches in 13 years before him — ”not an enviable record” — and it had been suggested that there had been interference and sabotage in them carrying out their duties.
”This is something I will not tolerate,” he added. ”If the conditions of my contract are not met, I will leave. If Safa are not happy with the way I am doing things, I will leave. It is as simple as that.”
At the same time, there are no conditions to his contract stipulating that Bafana had to win any specific competitions before the World Cup — as it has been incorrectly reported.
Parreira said it is his ultimate objective to try to win the World Cup for South Africa in 2010. ”One cannot approach a challenge like this in any other way,” he added. ”But it is also naive to be starry-eyed and believe you can run before you can walk.
”For South Africa to emulate Brazilian soccer,” said Parreira, ”the right structures must first be created. Brazil exports 5 000 players a year to countries round the world and immediately others emerge to take their places for local consumption. This is the kind of challenge that faces South African soccer.”
Commenting on hot-favourite Brazil’s failure to win the World Cup this year under his control, Parreira said the pressures on winning the World Cup were enormous. ”More often than not,” he said, ”the favourites have not won the World Cup. In this way, it is something of a lottery as well as a test of the best.
”The 2010 World Cup,” added Parreira, ”is not only a challenge for South African soccer, but a window for the world at large to look at and try to emulate the glowing impression made by Germany this year — impressions that could prove indelible for better or for worse and last for many years”. — Sapa