World Cup hosts South Africa have appointed Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira as coach for a second time, South African Football Association (Safa) President Kirsten Nematandani confirmed on Friday.

Parreira returns to a post he relinquished in April last year when his wife became seriously ill in Rio de Janeiro, and he was succeeded by compatriot Joel Santana.

International novice Santana, 60, lost his first match in charge away to Nigeria, struggled to improve the team, and was fired after suffering eight losses in nine matches.

Parreira, 66, guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title when they defeated Italy after a penalty shootout in the United States, but fared less well three years ago with the South Americans making a quarterfinals exit to France.

That defeat cost him his job and he took over Bafana Bafana for the first time in January 2007, but battled to convert the African also-rans into a formidable force on the world stage.

His greatest achievement came in his final match, a 3-0 defeat of Paraguay in a Pretoria friendly, soon after a poor 2008 African Nations Cup showing that led to a first round exit.

"It was our wish to have a local person"

South Africa snatched a late draw against Angola in Ghana, were outplayed by Tunisia, and managed to take only one point off a Senegal team demoralised by the resignation of their coach.

Nematandani told a media conference that Parreira would be assisted by compatriot Jairo Leal and South African Pitso Mosimane.

"It was our wish to have a local person coach the national team Bafana Bafana, but we have only eight months to go to the World Cup and there is no time for experimenting, so we went for experience," said Nematandani.

"Also it is Parreira's programme that the national team is following, so it's only fair and wise that he returns to continue with it."

Both Parreira and Santana had worked with Leal and Mosimane, whilst another, unnamed South African would be added to the coaching staff for an eight-month race to lift a team that has slumped to a 16-year low of 85 on the FIFA world rankings.

'New' coach's salary "less" than before...

Nemantandani — who met Parreira in Brazil this week — refused to disclose his salary, saying only that it would be "less" than the R1.8-million (241,000 dollars) a month received during his previous stint.

The new Safa boss also said Parreira that would be replaced by a South African coach after the World Cup — "The meeting has agreed in principle that the next Bafana Bafana coach after the World Cup will be one of our own," he added in the press briefing afterwards — which runs from June 11 to July 11, 2010.

Parreira's first game back in charge will be a friendly against fellow World Cup qualifiers, Japan, on November 14 at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, before facing up to Jamaica just four days later.

  • Are Safa out of their minds? What do YOU make of this decision?! Leave a comment below on this appointment and/or entire saga BELOW...

    AFP

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