Parreira to reveal his future as SA coach on Monday

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will make an announcement Monday about his future amid reports the Brazilian wants to leave.

South Africa's soccer federation spokesman Morio Sanyane said Parreira will hold a press conference in Johannesburg. He did not elaborate.

Media reports have speculated that Parreira, who led Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, has been in negotiations to step down.

Johannesburg-based radio station 702 quoted Parreira's wife, Leila, as saying he was planning to return to Brazil early next month to be with his family.

South Africa signed Parreira in a bid to revive the country's struggling national team ahead of the 2010 World Cup which it will host.

Taking up his post in January last year, Parreira picked young, inexperienced players with 2010 in mind.

Initially his strategy seemed to fail as the team was eliminated in the first round of the African Cup of Nations in Ghana earlier this year. However, South Africa beat Paraguay 3-0 in a friendly match last month.

Parreira's reported monthly salary of more than US$250,000 caused an outcry in a country battling poverty and unemployment.

He also warned the federation against interfering with his coaching methods. The federation has often been blamed for forcing a rapid succession of coaches to quit.

"Thirteen coaches in 13 years is not a good record," Parreira said at his first press conference. "The moment I am not happy or not feeling comfortable, then it is 'bye bye."'

The soccer association's chief executive Raymond Hack and president Molefi Oliphant will also attend Monday's press conference.

Sapa-AP