At last, a coach after our own hearts!

At last, a coach after our own hearts!

Carlos Alberto Parreira is fast gaining our respect. And that's from the bottom of our hearts.

The reasons why this is becoming so is that for far too long now people have been angry with us armchair critics when we bemoaned the performances that are sometimes dished out by Bafana Bafana.

When we cried "unacceptable" at some of the circus games under some previous coaches, the reaction would be, "what do you expect from those klipgooiers?"

You can't help but feel vindicated when a coach speaks like Parreira after what the national team did against Chipolopolo in a Ghana 2008 Afcon qualifier last Sunday.

The coach did not mince his words about how he felt. And, for good measure kicked a few water bottles around to make his point.

We say bravo!

How many times does a coach have to make excuses about a number of things like the state of the pitch, the physical strength of the opposition, the altitude, the lack of good preparation and any other issue under the sun?

Not so with the Brazilian World Cup winning coach. He laid it on and, for the benefit of those who perhaps didn't hear him, said the team has qualified and that is fine.

Then he said what one would expect from a coach of his calibre and standing, and that was that it is unacceptable for a team of Bafana Bafana's quality to lose a game the way they did. Especially at home.

He expects his teams to win qualification by being on top of the group, without having lost if possible. Tell me if that's not what all of us want, and I'll tell you where to go.

Parreira admits he kicked water bottles because he, in his words, "wants my players to have balls". Remember when Sir Alex Ferguson did the same at Manchester United when he let rip a boot that cut top model David Beckham just above the eye?

We were pathetic.

Nay, we were a disgrace! He had to do it. No charges to be laid.

It feels so nice saying that after the coach had said it, otherwise it would invoke uncalled for defences of the indefensible.

We are not going to just like Parreira, we are going to love him.

One hopes that the coaches of the junior national teams, Amajimbos, Amajita, the Under-23s, Banyana Banyana and others learnt something from Parreira's reaction.

All we have ever wanted was a coach, not a politician or spin doctor.

The Under-23s won't qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Granted, miracles are known to happen in this game but Sports Indaba can bet anyone all the Zim dollars available that it won't happen - period.

Bring on the excuses. We are listening. Aren't we?

We love Carlos!

But, can someone tell us what assistant coaches do. Please!

This column believes that had Papi Zothwane been replaced with the "Little Napoleon", aka Benedict Vilakazi, the tide of the war would have changed drama- tically.

That is a player for the big occasion and the nation knows what he is capable of. The speedy fresh legs of Siyabonga Nomvethe instead of his Nkosi namesake would also have made sense in the last 20 minutes or so.

As it is, Chris Katongo's three- goal Tsunami ripped Parreira's heart and soul out of his body.

Zothwane and Nkosi are ones for the future but not for the big occasion yet.

Ever hear of horses for courses? We rest our case.