New Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana may have started packing his bags in Rio de Janeiro to embark on his controversial appointment as the new Bafana Bafana coach in place of compatriot Carlos Alberto Parreira early next month — but he will have a mountain on his mind as steep as the famed Sugar Loaf before he leaves Brazil en route to South Africa.
Kick Off magazine reports that after Santana’s current club, Flamengo, beat derby rivals Botafogo 1-0 in the first-leg of the Campeonato Carioco Fnal on the weekend, the new Bafana coach wll be making a 7 700 km trip to Mexico’s
Azteca Stadium for Wednesday’s first-leg South American Copa Libertadores clash against CF America.
Santana will then face another 7 700 trip back to Rio 24 hours later to prepare for Sunday’s second-leg encounter against Botafogo.
And Safa’s new man-in-waiting has intimated he might remain in Brazil for the crucial second-leg against Mexico’s CF America next Wednesday before finally boarding a flight to South Africa 24 hours later.
And, it is hoped, Safa will have a respirator waiting for him when he finally touches down at OR Tambo International Airport. – Sapa