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Johannesburg - The tallest soccer story of the week that former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira would be rejoining Bafana Bafana in a final push before next year's World Cup has been firmly denied - by Parreira himself.
The coach who was at the helm when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994 told Metro Radio announcer Robert Marawa that he had not as much as spoken to Safa about the possibility of rejoining the South African team since he terminated his contract in mid-stream.
Parreira recommended that fellow-Brazilian Joel Santana replace him at the helm of Bafana - a suggestion which Safa duly accepted.
But a week-end Johannesburg newspaper blazed the news on their front page that Parreira was now poised to effectively stab Santana in the back and resume as the Bafana coach. Flabbergasted Safa CEO Raymond Hack had already described the report as "devoid of any truth" - and Parreira's denial would seem to have effectively doused the flames of gossip regarding the matter.
However, there are those who have a dream, so to speak, and believe the return of Parreira would enhance Bafana's prospects for the World Cup -and he could work towards this aim in partnership with Santana.
But even the dreamers have not come up with an answer as to how Safa would be able to pay monthly salaries amounting to a combined R3,3-million to Santana and Parreira.
Parreira, meanwhile, is contracted to coach Rio de Jasneiro club Fluminense until December.
