South Africa football coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is undaunted by the task of transforming Bafana Bafana into a force to be reckoned with by the time the country hosts the 2010 World Cup.
”This is the kick-off for the World Cup in 2010,” the 64-year-old Parreira told a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday.
”My programme here is to build one very competitive team by 2010,” he said as he went straight into announcing his plans in South Africa.
The former World Cup-winning coach with Brazil arrived in South Africa last Friday to launch a new chapter in the bid to resurrect the fortunes of the national side, currently languishing in 69th position in Fifa world rankings.
Parreira, who is the 14th Bafana coach in 14 years, said he was aware of the instability of the job ahead, having spoken to ”one” previous coach who was ”not happy”, but said he was ready.
”There will be the ins and outs in many situations … it is a long process, but step by step we will get there. The plan is to have an experienced, young team strong enough for the Cup.
”Work starts on Monday,” he said in reference to a first meeting with the 23-men selected squad at a three-day camp in Johannesburg.
”I chose to come here because this is the country that is going to promote the first African World Cup ever … So it’s is going to be a pleasure to work and help this team promote the first African World Cup,” he said.
Parreira has led four national teams to five World Cups: Kuwait in 1982, the United Arab Emirates in 1990, Brazil in 1994 and 2006 and Saudi Arabia in 1998, during his 38-year history in professional soccer.
Parreira’s first game in charge of South Africa will be an away match against Chad in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on March 24.
But the Brazilian made it clear that his sights are set on the World Cup and his plans are to win it ”for Africa”.
”The best performance will be to win the World Cup. It’s a step-by-step process, like we did with Brazil. We will go by targets … But the home team has to qualify by any means into the second round and try and go as far as we can.”
This will prove to be a difficult mission with the embattled Bafana team that has been performing dismally recently and failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup finals in Germany.
But he said he will be ”patient” with players, ”work from the grass-roots, with support from Safa [the South African Football Association]”, to try and craft Bafana into the world beaters come 2010.
”It’s too early to judge now. There is good quality technically from the games I have seen, but maybe a bit of a worry about finishing.
”We don’t see as many goals in the league. I won’t say it’s a weakness but I think the task will be to concentrate on the finishing.”
Safa chief executive Raymond Hack said they have approved the employment of two South African coaches who will work with Parreira as assistants on a part-time basis.
Parreira, whose other passion is painting, said he’d want his time with the Bafana remembered as one with ”good results, combined with good entertaining football performance”.
”I would be the best, happiest coach in the world.” — AFP
