FILE PICTURE: Former South African coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Picture: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images.
Parreira has a soft spot for the country he calls his “second home” after spending three years here guiding Bafana Bafana in the first World Cup on African soil. He still uses “we” when referring to Bafana Bafana, a word that he should use talking about Brazil where he is the technical director.
“Nothing has been done since I left, but it’s time to start to do it again,” Parreira said.
“There is no easy way out. If you don’t have a proper structure there is no bright future. You have to take care of players from a very young age, so that you will have lots of players to choose from. If you have quantity it is easy to pick quality.
“This country has all the resources to be the best in Africa, but you have to do it. And also, this is my point of view, five foreigners is too many for this league.
“Five foreigners in 16 clubs means 80 South African players who are denied an opportunity to play. You have to give South African players an opportunity, especially now that you are in a building process. You may have five in the squad but you should have three on the field.”
Safa president Danny Jordaan was by his side when Parreira spoke about the gains Bafana Bafana have failed to make since 2010.
“The results haven’t come through since I left,” Parreira said.
“In the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations we were not among the last 16 and then we didn’t qualify for the World Cup. I spoke about these issues and Carlos Queiroz spoke about these issues, but no one is doing anything about them. It is time to stop talking and start doing.”