The boys from Brazil

Reports over the weekend show us just why South Africa is the land of opportunity -well for some anyway.

Our football team, fondly called Bafana Bafana goes through coaches like the seasons. Each seems to get progressively worse at making a success out of the national side.
How SAFA chooses these coaches is beyond me, and I guess beyond anybody who knows that a football is round.

We were awarded next year's (I dare not mention 2010 for fear of Fifa Sueing me) Globe we live on (World) Chalice (Cup)...we all know what I mean, but we also all know that Fifa has an iron fist on anything regarding the aforesaid event. For heaven's sakes, they have so many rules and regulations about dress codes etc, I am surprised there will be any spectators to fill our billion Rand stadiums, which I still think we could ill afford to build. (this being another article perhaps).

But back to the coach.
Due to SA being the host nation (and probably ONLY because we are the host nation), our soccer side qualifies for the world cup next year. SAFA thought the best coach would be a certain Carlos Alberto Parreira. Mr P ,from Brazil, came with a price tag of some R1,8 million a month. He served from February 2007 until his resignation in March 2008.
Mr P did not set the SA soccer world on fire though. He failed to win a game at the African Nations Cup in 2008 and only managed to get his charges to beat Chad in a competitve game. Yes, one competitive win. Amazing. Mr P's gigantic salary was overshadowed by his urgent need to return home for family matters. His wife had cancer, so let's give him the benifit of the doubt here.

Under circumstance that are still as murky as the Vaal river, Joel Santana, a Brazilian friend of Mr P, was elected as the new SA coach. If we thought Joel's ability to speak English was bad, then we soon came to realise that his coaching ability was way worse. (Yet he was getting about R1,5 million a month)
Under his  (we don't have to win friendly matches-or any others it seems) reign, Bafana Bafana slipped down to 85th in the world ranking and had the proud honour of being beaten by a team in the mid nineties.
After lots of pressure, he resigned (told to P-off by SAFA in other words) for an undisclosed amount of money- probably the balance of his contract and bonuses for wins he may have achieved.....but nobody is telling- yet!

Then came the great suspense...who will be out next coach?
In SA, there are more leaks that in a termite infested wooden boat. It was rumoured, even before Joel's sad departure, that Mr P would return. This was denied by SAFA (which surprised nobody).

Local experts and fans wanted a local coach. SAFA, in their great wisdom, went for the denied rumour, and announced that the new coach would be..drum roll....Carlos Alberto Perreira..and nobody saw this coming.

In true SAFA style, they also stated on record that Mr P would be earning less this time around. It is reported that The Star contacted Mr P at his home in Brazil, who in between laughs I am sure, confirmed he would be earning the same R1,8 million a month that he earned (used loosley here of course) last time around. Who would not want the job at that salary- taking into consideration how lenient your employer is regarding your lack of achievement.

SAFA President, Kirsten Nematandani also seems keen to bring Mr P's family over to our sunny shores as well. All at SAFA's expense of course. And I sure if he has to leave again for any family emergency, he has the name of another outstanding coach to take over from him.

SAFA's reason for re-appointing Carlos- continuity! When a team is doing well and making us proud, indeed, continuity would be a good reason to get him back. But with the track record of the two Brazilians, surely we do not want this to continue. Would we not want a coach who would help us to improve?
There are a couple of South African coaches that probably could have improved our performance, building up to our first round exit next year. Gavin Hunt, Jomo Sono...to name two. South Africans know how to deal with South Africans and I am sure it is a daunting task training Bafana. South African coaches have got he know how to do this. Foriegn coaches do not.

Having said this, SAFA doen not listen to expert or public opinion and we are stuck with Mr P till the World Cup's conclusion. In his defence though, unlike Joel, he can talk 'the eeeengleesh.'