NEWSMAKER-Soccer-South Africa turn to Santana's clipboard

By Brian Homewood

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 21 (Reuters) - Hosts South Africa are set to place their 2010 World Cup fortunes, and possibly those of the tournament's success, in the hands of a Brazilian journeyman coach and his trusted clipboard.

Joel Santana, 59, appeared to be reaching the end of what, until now, had been a typical career for a Brazilian coach in which he has won trophies and been sacked by a succession of clubs, only to keep coming back for more.

Yet, despite having no experience with a national side and only a couple of brief stints with clubs in the Middle East and Japan, Santana has been given the chance to coach the host nation of the first World Cup to be played on African soil.

On Monday, Santana's club Flamengo said that he had agreed terms to replace compatriot Carlos Alberto Parreira, who quit the 'Bafana Bafana' for personal reasons. The decision has still to be confirmed by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA).

The coach is known for his down-to-earth style and his trademark clipboard, which he has faithfully stood by in an age when many fellow coaches have turned to laptop computers.

Describing the offer as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he was typically modest on Monday.

"I'm happy that I'm being recognised outside Brazil. It shows that my work is not all that bad," he said.

Santana is a veteran survivor of the topsy-turvy world of Brazilian coaching where success, though wildly celebrated, is quickly forgotten.