Bafana not in crisis: Safa
Simangaliso Zwane
22 April 2008
The resignation of Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will not plunge South Africa's national team into crisis, says SA Football Association (Safa) president Molefi Olifant.
Olifant was addressing journalists during an impromptu media briefing called by the association at Safa headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday. The conference attracted large numbers of local and international media.
The Safa president said he does not believe the national soccer team is on the brink of a crisis because the association would retain the services of Parreira's highly recommended assistant coach, Jairo Lopes Cesar Leal, to continue the Brazilian's "vision and philosophy" for the national team.
Assistant coach
"There is no crisis. A good coach is as good as his assistant, and a good assistant is as good as his coach," said Oliphant.
Parreira echoed Oliphant's sentiments, saying he had every reason to believe that the national team would still have the edge in his absence. "My assistant coach is one of the best in the world, and he has been with me for so many years with so many teams," Parreira said.
Technical advisor
Olifant said he was grateful that Parreira has decided to make himself available as a technical advisor to the national side. "His commitment to continue helping us in terms of regular contact with the Bafana Bafana technical team will assist us to advance our course of building a competitive team for the World Cup."
Parreira told journalists that he regretted having to make the decision, saying it was one of the hardest in his coaching career.
'A very difficult decision'
"It has been a very difficult decision to make. We had reached a point where we had done most of the job, the difficult part of job," Parreira said. "I had a dream to participate in my eighth World Cup as a coach.
"When I first came to South Africa, the media asked me why I was taking the job, and I said because South Africa is hosting the Fifa World Cup, which is the biggest sporting event in the world, and I want to be part of it."
"I am not happy with such a decision. There is no winner here; but that does not mean there is a loser," Parreira said.
Parreira's record
During his tenure with Bafana, Parreira won nine, drew six and lost six games. South Africa's most impressive outing under him came in their last game, when they outplayed Paraguay, who were at the time top of South American 2010 World Cup qualifying, 3-0.
In thanking Parreira, Safa vice-president Irvin Khoza asked for sensitivity about the circumstances relating to Parreira's wife's health.
"All of us would have probably handled the matter the same way, because family is important to any man," Khoza said.
Source: BuaNews
