( AFP ) - Carlos Alberto Parreira wants fellow Brazilian Joel Santana to succeed him as coach of 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, public broadcaster SABC reported on Saturday.
Parreira is expected to officially resign as coach of Bafana Bafana (The Boys) on Monday after an emergency meeting of the South African Football Association in Johannesburg.
His wife Leila told the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo on Friday that he would quit South Africa next month to help her recover from major surgery and spend time with his grandchildren.
Flamengo coach Santana, 60, played top-class football in Brazil but was never capped at senior level and his 27-year coaching career included spells with clubs in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Parreira took charge of struggling South Africa 15 months ago and after a tame first round exit from the 2008 African Nations Cup, was praised for a 3-0 friendly victory over Paraguay in Pretoria last month.