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20/04/2008 15:55
Johannesburg - It is said where there is smoke there must be fire - and there has been so much billowing, suffocating and disconcerting smoke surrounding this particular issue that there can now be no doubt it will be officially announced at Monday's emergency press conference of Safa that Bafana Bafana's R1.8 million-a-month coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, has resigned.
Parreira, who guided Brazil to the World Cup in 1994 and is one of the most respected coaches in the world, was specifically hired 16 months ago to prepare Bafana for the 2010 version of the tournament in South Africa at what was an astronomical and controversial salary package in the context of local soccer.
And despite a stuttering start to his tenure - with Safa continuing to display its characteristic shortcomings and a segment of the media indulging in inane criticism of his methods - Parreira appeared to have dramatically turned Bafana round in the last month or two after years in dismal, eroding decline.
This is what makes Parreira's decision, officially, it will be proclaimed due to personal reasons and the separation from his family - but allied, no doubt, also to other factors - so serious and disturbing for South African soccer.
Certainly, it will be the Bafana players Parreira moulded into such an effective combination in his last game - the scintillating 3-0 win over 26th world-ranked Paraguay - who will be more upset by the turn of events than anyone.
Baptism of fire
And, as a matter of urgency, a replacement will need to be sought and found almost immediately - particularly as the new coach or coaches at the helm face a baptism of fire against African powerhouse Nigeria in an away 2010 Nations Cup qualifying game in five weeks time.
Parreira, it is believed, has made numerous alternative suggestions to Safa concerning his successor - one of them being that his chief assistant, fellow Brazilian Jairo Leal and his second assistant, Pitso Mosimane, take over on a caretaker basis if not permanently.
A whole myriad of other Brazilian coaches have also been suggested in what might be no more than an unconfirmed guessing game at this juncture - with the wild speculation also roping in such top coaches as Portugal and former Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari, former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho and Manchester City and former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The Brazilian coaches who have supposedly been recommended by Parreira include Joel Santana, Leal, Emerson Leao, Muricy Ramalho and Renato Gaucho - although whether any of these gentlemen are available or interested in the Bafana job is open to question.
Also supposedly in the speculative Bafana melting pot is veteran Brazilian maestro Mario Zagallo, who has the unique record of being associated with a World Cup-winning team on three occasions - as coach, player and technical assistant.
But Zagallo is now 77 years-old and, at best, might only be considered as a technical director to oversee the work of others.
Whatever the outcome of the coaching lottery, it is likely that the harassed and hard-pressed Safa will first consider an overseas coach with some sort of international reputation before turning to the local market.
And there are doubts they will again be prepared to offer a replacement R1.8m a month - which has stretched the association's budget close to its limits.
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