The South African football community have welcomed the appointment of Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira as the new coach of the country's national team, but have warned him that he faces some huge challenges.
The Brazilian coach, who resigned after his country's exit in the quarter-finals of this summer's World Cup, will arrive in the country in the next fortnight, but will not be in charge for next month's friendly against neighbours Namibia.
However, when he does arrive he will inherit a South African side which failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup and has fired a string of coaches in the past few years.
Bafana Bafana, as the team are known, have plunged from top 20 status in FIFA's rankings to number 73.
Former South African captain Doctor Khumalo believes Parreira should get all the backing he needs.
Khumalo told the Star: 'Appointing a coach who has won a World Cup is great indeed, but we have to back him fully.'
Pitso Mosimane, who will coach the team for the Namibian game and who has been earmarked as the assistant to Parreira, called on the media not to criticise the coach in the initial stages of his tenure.
He said: 'He needs time, irrespective of what happens in the first few games. He should be given the opportunity to adapt.'
