Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will lead South Africa into the 2010 World Cup on home soil.

Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning boss, who resigned from his latest stint in charge of his country following a disappointing quarter-final exit in Germany this summer, has signed a four-year contract with the South African Football Association.

An SAFA delegation concluded the deal following seven hours of negotiations with the 63-year-old in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.

"I'm very excited, excited, excited," SAFA president Molefi Oliphant said today.

"We wanted to get the best and we managed to talk to Carlos and now it's history - now Carlos will be coach of the national team."

It is not yet certain when Parreira - who is the country's 14th coach in the 14 years since returning to international competition - will assume control.

Parreira has expressed a preference for early next year, meaning South Africa may retain the services of caretaker coach Pitso Mosimane when they play their 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers against Congo in Johannesburg in September and away against Zambia in October.

Mosimane has already been confirmed in the role for the August 16th friendly with Namibia in Windhoek.

Oliphant admitted Parreira was just one of many "world-class" coaches the SAFA had considered for the role, a list that included former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr as well as Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"There was quite a long list. We had to do some elimination and see who was available," Oliphant added.  PA