Are SAFA behind Parreira’s decision?

As a South African football fan I’ve become accustomed to false dawns and deep disappointments over the past decade but none have hit home quite as hard as the sudden, unexpected departure of Carlos Alberto Parreira.

For once it had seemed as if the usually criminally inept SAFA had got it right and appointed the perfect man for the job. Parreira was professional, intelligent and brought with him a vast amount of experience. Even though the results looked dire at first, it was clear that Parreira was working according to a plan and not just casting his bread on the water like so may of his headless-chicken predecessors.

When Bafana Bafana beat Paraguay with style and aplomb last month a collective sigh of relief could be heard among the country’s football cognoscenti. We’d known all along that he’d get things right. There was purpose and style coupled with a hitherto unimagined intelligence to the team’s play.

They actually looked like they’d been coached and that they wanted to be there. South Africans have almost forgotten what that’s like.

The dream of doing well at the 2010 World Cup seemed about to be realised. No one was ever stupid enough to believe we’d be in a position to win it, but the hope that we’d emerge from the tournament with some honour intact and the groundwork for a successful national side well and truly laid no longer seemed like the ravings of a lunatic.

But even then there were warning signs. Who can forget this quote from Butana Komphela, who chairs the government portfolio committee on sport and recreation: “Let’s not beat about the bush: there is no team in South Africa”

“Our people are going to be clapping for other teams.

“I pity Parreira because he is going to fail. We are happy with the 2010 progress; the only thing we are not happy about is the team.”

What a vote of confidence.

Now it’s over. While it would take a truly heartless bastard to begrudge Parreira his stated reasons for quitting – he wishes to be with his ailing wife and young grandchildren – those of us with even a passing knowledge of SAFA are already casting about for the REAL reasons behind his decision.

After all, with the salary he’s being paid it would be extremely easy for Parreira to have his wife move to South Africa. He can’t even cite medical reasons as South Africa has some of the best facilities in the world, presuming you can afford to pay for them.

His wife’s illness is also not a recent development, in fact she had already been ill when he accepted the position.

Parreira has been in football for a very long time and has never been a quitter. We can only assume that, like so many times before, SAFA are behind his decision.

Whether it is through incompetence, interference or just their general uselessness, I expect rumours to start filtering out soon as to the real reasons behind Mr Parreira’s decision.

If it comes to light that SAFA are once again to blame for making our country and its football team a laughing stock when we had finally been offered a glimpse of redemption, it will become imperative that both fans and the government need to turn on the organisation like a pack of starving dogs.

It now seems likely that Brazilian unknown Joel Santana will replace Parreira, although SAFA have swiftly moved to squash these rumours. If true it would be a very strange decision indeed as Santana has never coached a national team and, aside from short spells in Saudi Arabia and Japan, has only ever worked in Brazil.

I suspect we’re in for a bumpy ride and the light at the end of the tunnel is most likely an approaching train. Still, the dream was fun while it lasted.

Justin Zehmke

This article is from www.football365.co.za, the voice of the African football fan.