South Africa’s new football coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, arrived in Johannesburg on Friday to launch what is hoped will be a successful bid to become world beaters when they host the Soccer World Cup in 2010.
The Brazilian, who has signed a four-year contract with the South African Football Association (Safa), was welcomed by Safa chief executive Raymond Hack when he touched down at OR Tambo International Airport.
Parreira did not say a word on his arrival before being whisked away.
”We want him to have time to rest and settle in. He will have a press conference on February 1,” Hack told the media.
Parreira, who will earn a record R1,8 million a month, faces the daunting task of turning the Bafana Bafana team into a force to be reckoned with by 2010 when South Africa host the Fifa World Cup.
The embattled team has been performing dismally recently and failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup finals in Germany.
He will be Bafana’s 14th coach in 14 years, but Hack warned that people should not expect magic from the Brazilian.
”People should not expect that he will perform magic. He is here so he can get a job done. He can go and beat Chad 6-0 or be blown out in the first round of the Africa Nations Cup. His main aim is the 2010 World Cup.”
His first test will be an away game against Chad in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on March 24.
He is expected to assemble his new squad during a camp in Johannesburg from February 4 to 7.
Hack said Parreira would initially be assisted by two locally based coaches on a part-time basis until deciding whether he wants to keep them — AFP
