Soccer
'We don't need Parreira'
2009-10-21 08:39
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Johannesburg - The most successful South Africa-based football coach said Tuesday he does not want Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira recalled as national coach of the 2010 World Cup hosts.
Gordon Igesund, winner of the league title with a record four clubs and now in charge of Maritzburg United, said there were several local coaches capable of lifting Bafana Bafana (The Boys) after eight losses in nine games.
"I keep hearing that South African coaches have no international experience, but Franz Beckenbauer never handled a national team before taking charge of Germany and leading them to 1990 World Cup glory.
"Jurgen Klinsmann did not have any national team experience either before the last World Cup and created a German side that played fantastic football and finished third.
"South African coaches know the players, know their environment, know the culture they operate in and we are immensely proud of our country," said the former Austria-based professional.
Parreira quit as South Africa coach in April last year to be with his ill wife in Brazil and successor Joel Santana was fired on Monday after losing 14 of 27 internationals.
But the Brazilian says he is available following the recovery of his wife and an unnamed South African Football Association official told the Johannesburg Star the veteran coach has a "90 percent" chance of returning.
Although Parreira led his country to the 1994 World Cup title and was a more popular Bafana coach than Santana, his possible recall after a national football association meeting Friday will not be met with total approval.
He recommended Santana to the South African Football Association and his own record as national coach was uninspiring with just two points garnered from 2008 African Nations Cup clashes against Angola, Tunisia and Senegal.
Veteran Dutch coach Leon Beenhakker has been linked with a post worth almost 200,000 dollars a month to Santana, but a SAFA official ruled him out after failing to help qualify Poland for the 2010 World Cup.
Local coaches linked with Bafana include Pitso Mosimane, an assistant to Parreira and Santana, Igesund, former star Jomo Sono and Gavin Hunt, winner of the last two league titles with SuperSport United.
Hunt and former national coaches Sono and Clive Barker were asked to compile a report on the 1-0 losses suffered by South Africa in Norway and Iceland last week, but it played no role in the sacking of Santana.
"I'm surprised they have already sacked him without looking at our report. We are convening on Thursday to finalise it. But there is no doubt Santana has been a disgrace," said Hunt.
South Africa, who plummeted to a 16-year low of 85 in the world rankings last week, have two more friendly fixtures this year against Japan in Johannesburg on November 14 and Jamaica in Bloemfontein three days later.