Joel Santana named Bafana coach
Brad Morgan
23 April 2008
It didn't take the South African Football Association long to confirm the identity of Carlos Alberto Parreira's replacement as coach of Bafana Bafana. On Wednesday, the worst kept secret in South African soccer was confirmed as Joel Santana was named to take charge of the national team.
Santana leaves Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo to replace Parreira, who will serve as a technical advisor to Bafana Bafana.
Known as 'Papai Joel', the 59-year-old Santana said leaving Flamengo was a tough decision, but the opportunity to coach a team at the 2010 Fifa World Cup was a dream come true; as hosts, South Africa's place at football's biggest tournament is already ensured.
'I'm delighted'
He was quoted on the Fifa website as saying: "I'm delighted. I received a very good offer and it's always been a big ambition to coach at the World Cup. Now I will dispute a World Cup.
"I didn't know if I would ever receive another proposal like this, one that was impossible to turn down. Anybody would have accepted this offer in my position. It's the time to think of my family."
Judging from reports on the reactions of Flamengo players to his departure, Santana is a man many of them view with warmth as a father figure.
Great success
In Brazil, he has enjoyed great success in the Carioca (Rio de Janiero State Championship), leading Rio's big four teams – Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Botafogo – to the title.
All four clubs enjoy massive followings, which illustrates the high regard in which Santana is held in Brazil. The club he leaves to take up the Bafana Bafana post, Flamengo, rates as one of the most popular teams in the world with over 30-million fans.
In 2005, he took over at Flamengo with the club in serious relegation trouble. He then earned the nickname "the miracle man" by helping the side avoid the drop as they won six and drew three of the nine matches that remained in the season.
Two years later, after a spell in Japan, Santana – who has coached Flamengo in four different stints – guided a team that had finished 15th in the 20-club league the previous season to a second place finish.
International experience
Santana has never coached a national team before. His experience outside of Brazil features spells with clubs in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
However, Parreira rates Santana highly, and believes the two men share the same philosophy and vision. He recommended Santana as his replacement because of their shared beliefs and getting a replacement who could build on the foundation Parreira had laid with Bafana Bafana was among the leading considerations in the search for a new coach.
Santana has agreed a contract with Safa and senior officials of the organisation will head to Rio de Janiero this weekend to see to the signing of the contract and also to sort out Santana's work permit.
Starting date
Safa CEO Raymond Hack hopes Santana can start working with Bafana from 9 May. The Flamengo coach, for his part, has said he won't leave the club until the completion of the Rio de Janeiro Championship on 4 May.
Hack believes the transition from Parreira to Santana will be smooth; the same two assistants who worked with Parreira - Jairo Leal and Pitso Mosimane - will be retained to help Santana, which will contribute to an efficient changeover.
The new coach will be thrown into the deep end, with his first match in charge set to be a real baptism of fire. It takes place on 1 July in Abuja where South Africa take on African powerhouse Nigeria in an African Cup of Nations qualifier. The Super Eagles, at 39th, are 30 places above Bafana in the Fifa world rankings.
Tough schedule
The clash against the Nigerians is the first of four games in the space of three weeks, which means Santana will not have a lot of time to work on aspects of South Africa's play that he believes need tweaking.
After the game in Abuja, Bafana Bafana tackle Equatorial Guinea in two matches that sandwich an outing against Sierra Leone.
Qualifying for the African Cup of Nations tournament in Angola in 2010 is regarded as crucial for South Africa's World Cup preparations. The continental showpiece takes place in January, with the Fifa World Cup following in June.
Santana is a Christmas baby, having been born on 25 December 1948. For the predominantly Christian population of South Africa, 25 December is the day on which their saviour, Jesus, was born. Now, for Bafana Bafana fans, their hope is that 'Papai Joel' proves to be a football saviour.
They would love to see him play "the miracle man" at the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
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