Vuvuzela South Africa

Benni McCarthy is Back in the Bafana Bafana Squad

When Carlos Alberto Parreira returned as head coach, the writing was on the wall, Benni Mc Carthy would be asked to come back. The door to the Bafana Bafana team would once again be opened to the man who has scored 31 goals in 76 caps for his country.

Coaching Team in Agreement

According to football 365 Assistant coach Jario Leal says the recalling of McCarthy after nine months of self-imposed sabbatical was done in consultation with returning head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira along with Pitso Mosimane.

“The return of Benni was done after we spoke about it between myself, Pitso [Mosimane] and Parreira,” Leal said at a press conference on Thursday. “He [McCarthy] is the main striker in the country and this is the time to bring Benni back and see how he does in the last two games of the year. He is a good player and we trust Benni is going to help us in the way forward.”

Bafana Bafana Squad – Best Talent Available

Carlos Alberto Parreira has announced his intentions to be a no-nonsense coach by pulling no punches to ensure that the best available talent will from now on be used in the Bafana Bafana squad – and that means selecting people who can score goals.

SAFA has announced a radically new looking 24-man squad to represent Bafana in their upcoming friendly internationals against Japan and Jamaica.

U20 World Cup Amajita stars Kermit Erasmus, Daylon Claason and Darren Keet have been selected in the squad along with Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy and in-form SuperSport United winger Daine Klate.

Match Times

The first match against Japan will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 14 November 2009. Kick off is at 15h30.
The second match against Jamaica will be played at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on the Tuesday, 17 November. Kick off is at 20h00.

Bafana Bafana Squad for Japan and Jamaica Friendlies

Goalkeepers:
Rowen Fernandez           Arminia Bielefeld, Germany
Moeneeb Josephs           Orlando Pirates
Darren Keet                        BIDvest Wits

Defenders:
Siboniso Gaxa                Sundowns
Bongani Khumalo         SuperSport
Morgan Gould                 SuperSport
Tsepo Masilela               Maccabi Haifa, Israel
Aaron Mokoena              Portsmouth, England
Anele Ngcongca              KRC Genk, Belgium
Lucas Thwala                     Orlando Pirates
Siyabonga Sangweni       Golden Arrows

Midfielders:
Daine Klate                            SuperSport United
Renilwe Letsholonyane    Kaizer Chiefs
Daylon Claasen                      Ajax Amsterdam, Holland
MacBeth Sibaya                    Rubin Kazan, Russia
Teko Modise                            Orlando Pirates
Elrio Van Heerden                 Blackburn Rovers, England
Siphiwe Tshabalala                Kaizer Chiefs
Kagisho Dikgacoi                   Fulham, England

Strikers:
Benni McCarthy             Blackburn Rovers, England
Katlego Mphela             Sundowns
Kermit Erasmus             Excelsior Rotterdam, Holland
Bernard Parker              FC Twente, Holland
Mabhudi Khenyeza        Sundowns

Photo: Benni Mc Carthy Football 365

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Carlos Alberto Parreira is the new coach for the South African National Soccer Team. After two weeks of rumours and denials, the South African Football Association (SAFA) made the announcement just after 7pm at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg.

During this Bafana coach fiasco, it seemed all that the loyal and passionate supporters were agreed upon, is that they were happy that Joel Santana was out of the picture.

Most South African fans have been calling for a local coach – Clive Barker, Gordon Igesund, Gavin Hunt or even Pitso. Nobody wanted another Brazilian coach.

Bafana’s Only Coach

But it seemed that the die was cast long before Joel Santana even stepped down. Remember when Safa and Santana were denying that Pappa Joel was leaving? Remember that this voice of Parreira drifted across the ocean from Brazil saying that he was standing ready to step into the position IF he was the only coach?

So Who is Carlos Alberto Parreira?

Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira was born February 27, 1943, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Parreira supports Fluminense, and he has won two important League titles for the club: The First Division Brazilian Championship in 1984 and the Third Division in 1999.

Parreira is noted for having been one of only two coaches that has led four national teams to the World Cup: Kuwait in 1982, United Arab Emirates in 1990, Brazil in 1994 and 2006, and Saudi Arabia in 1998. The other coach, Bora Milutinovic, surpassed this record when he led a fifth team in 2002. He was also involved to some extent with the 1970 championship team for Brazil, which he claims was an inspiration for him to aspire to be a national football coach.

FIFA World Cup Matches Record

Parreira has coached national squads in 21 games in FIFA World Cup competition. Parreira’s coaching record is 10-4-8 (Wins-Draws-Losses). His teams have scored 27 goals and conceded 29.

Interview with Carlos Alberto Parreira on Fifa Website

Photo: Carlos Alberto Parreira deposintonaweb

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According to the Safa website: On Monday 19 October 2009 it was unanimously agreed between the Management Committee representing the South African Football Association and the Senior National Coach Mr Joel Natalino Santana, that Mr. Santana would, with immediate effect vacate his current position as Bafana Bafana National Coach.

Santana to be Replaced

Safa is expected to name a new Bafana Bafana head coach on Friday to replace Joel Santana.

Brazilian-born Santana who was a replacement Carlos Alberto Parreira spent a dismal 16 months in charge of the national soccer team, a period that has seen that has seen Bafana Bafana plunge down the rankings to 85th place.

Lowest Ranking Ever

The 85th ranking is Bafana Bafana’s lowest ever, with South Africa dropping 12 positions from last month’s 73rd placing. No wonder after eight defeats in their last nine friendly internationals since reaching the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in June.

Said Safa spokesperson Morio Sanyane: “Santana resigned after he met with the president (Nematandani and his management committee) on Monday. The parties had a heart to heart talk and Santana decided to stand down. A new coach could be named when the Safa executive meet on Friday.”

In the interim, the Management Committee resolved that  Jairo Leal and  Pitso Mosimane would assume the role of Caretaker Coaches.

Problem Deeper than a New Coach

Many think that Bafana Bafana’s problems run much deeper than the coach. At the moment, we have a demoralized squad and the management in South African football at each other’s throats, tripping over their own egos.

Yes, a new coach is necessary, but Safa also needs to clean up its act and stop playing political games. The governing body of soccer in South Africa, the host country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, needs to be unified and committed and have some dignity!

New Coach for Bafana Bafana

Bafana Bafana needs more than a coach. What has happened to that Sports psychologist who worked with the team before the Confed Cup, the guy who works with the Boks? He should be brought back to make sure the boys are feeling good about themselves again and getting their heads as well as their bodies into the game.

As for the new coach for Bafana Bafana – well, we will know on Friday

Will Parreira come Back?

Football365 believes that Hunt, Sono and Barker will undoubtedly be the front-runners for the vacant coaching job, as it would be foolish to appoint another foreigner so close to the world’s biggest sporting event.

But then I wonder about all the noise the other Brazilian, Carlos Alberto Parreira has been making about being available to coach Bafana Bafana as long as he is the only coach. Despite Safa’s denials about not speaking to him, would he expose himself so for nothing?

Photo: Carlos Natalino Santana football356.co.za

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