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Santana signed and sealed
29/04/2008 14:39 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The South African Football Association chief executive officer Raymond Hack, returned on Tuesday from Brazil with the signature of new Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana on a two-year contract.
Santana replaces his Brazilian countryman Carlos Alberto Parrreira who resigned suddenly last Monday due to the ill health of his wife.
But the Flemengo coach will only take over subject to successfully getting a work permit and that will be secured once Safa comply with the new sports work permit act.
Hack who arrived at the OR Tambo Airport from Brazil on Tuesday morning and then jetted off to Australia later the afternoon for an Olympic anti-doping committee meeting, said he was confident all the paper work was in order.
Said Hack: "When I return from Australia at the weekend I will set up a meeting with the Minister of Sport (Makhenkesi Stofile) for early next week in order to make sure we have complied with the new work permit act for sport."
Work permit
Hack returned with all Santana's details, a police clearance, a health certificates giving him a clean bill of health and a signed contract to coach Bafana.
Said Hack: "All Santana's papers and documentation are in order. But he cannot work in South Africa until he is issued with a work permit from the Minister of Sport. This we hope will not take too long and that Santana will be in Johannesburg around 12 May."
The Safa CEO said he was impressed by Santana who had no problem signing a contract that will see him guide the fortunes of Bafana until after the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Said hack: "Santana is a tall man with a tremendous presence. He is quietly spoken but can be volatile when coaching on the bench."
Hack said Santana knows basic English but is not fluent: But he said: "We could understand each other."
What Hack did make clear to the new Bafana coach what was expected of him. Bafana play four back to back African Nations Cup qualifiers staring with a tough away trip to old enemies Nigeria in Abuja on 30 May.
'Objectives'
After that Bafana play Equatorial Guinea at the Super Stadium in Atteridgville on 7 June and then face Sierra Leone twice , the first in Gambia on 14 June and the return leg at the Super Stadium on 21 June.
Said Hack: "He knows what Bafana are up against and knows what his objectives are and that is to make sure we qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola."
Hack also said Santana would be meeting with Parreira to ensure a smooth transition. Said Hack: "Carlos will put him in the picture and fill him in on what is around the corner."
Safa took strain when Parreira was not allowed to work until his work permit was in order last February.
Said Hack: "That was not Safa's fault as we submitted his documents in November."
Hack is determined that the is no repeat of that incident.
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