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I will back Parreira

Part of rebuilding Bafana Bafana into a world-class team is repairing the public perception of the team, and I speak as an expert on this one.

Part of rebuilding Bafana Bafana into a world-class team is repairing the public perception of the team, and I speak as an expert on this one.

While building the image is better left to spin doctors, the coach has his role cut out in the process and Bafana Bafana's is lying in tatters today partly because of costly miscalculations of some previous coaches.

When a coach constantly speaks of a crisis in his camp, flaws in administration and conspiracies (rightly or wrongly), a perception of a troubled, directionless institution emerges and individually we start wondering, why should I support such a hopeless endeavour?

Why would Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic supporters continue attending in numbers if the coach is always on about dressing room disunity, conspiracy theories, constantly attacking, with intent, to embarrass his employers?

Guess what, a number of former Bafana coaches have and got away with it.

I have noted a few interesting responses from the current coach and let you decide how effective Carlos Alberto Parreira, pictured, manages information filtering through his camp.

Asked how he felt when Siyabonga Nomvethe, Delron Buckley and Nasief Morris arrived late for camp for this past weekend game, he responded: "It happens everywhere in the world, I used to experience it in Brazil. I am confident they will be here."

Have you any information about Chad?: "No, I know nothing about them, but I am not worried. A good team goes out and imposes your style on opponents."

The conditions here are unbearable, blazing hot and a bumpy pitch: "There is nothing we can do about that. We have to play. To be the best, we must win under these conditions. We need big hearts."

Would you be happy with a draw? "No, a big team like South Africa must go out for a win, irrespective of where we play."

Previously, we would have had something like: "It's a big blow, it will affect my plans; I don't have any information because Safa doesn't know what they are doing."

"This is pathetic, in Europe this will never even qualify as a training field and I will be happy with a draw."

Well, listening to Parreira, I did not hear somebody preparing me for - at best - a draw. I would definitely go out and support him while the latter answers explains my pessimism until recently.

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