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Parreira delighted to be back

Johannesburg - Current assistant coach of Brazil and former Bafana Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has described South Africa as his adopted home and says he is delighted to be back.

“It’s a real pleasure to be back in South Africa, which I consider my second home,” Parreira said in Johannesburg on Monday.

“When I went home to Brazil, I took a lot of good memories.

“This game against Bafana Bafana is very special for us.

"There is a friendship and we believe Bafana will give us a good game.”

Parreira, a World Cup winner, is in the country with his Brazilian outfit, who take on South Africa in an international friendly at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

“We brought the best players available and we are ready to have a really good time,” Parreira said.

Parreira was in charge of Bafana Bafana during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, where the hosts failed to make it out of the group stages, leading to his dismissal.

Asked about Brazil's chances of winning the 2014 World Cup, which Brazil are hosting, Parreira said much was expected of the host nation and he was confident Brazil could follow their 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup triumph by lifted the 2014 trophy.

“Playing at home, with the players we have, we are one of the favourites.

"We have the people behind us," Parreira said.

“We saw during the Confederations Cup what Brazil achieved.

“We hope that we can do it again in the World Cup.

"It’s an energy that you can’t believe how important it is."

Meanwhile, SA Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan paid tribute to the 71-year-old coach, who lifted the 1994 World Cup trophy with Brazil.

“I would like to personally say thank you to Carlos for getting Brazil to choose South Africa," Jordaan said.

"(Brazil) could have gone anywhere in the world. Every nation wants to play against Brazil.

"We jumped at the opportunity.

“We see it as a sport celebration against a team we want to wish all the best for hosting the World Cup in their own country."

The game would be a tribute to former president Nelson Mandela, Jordaan said, confirming a commemorative playing kit had been designed for Wednesday's match.

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