Parreira says World Cup hosts S.Africa on right track

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira believes his team are finally on the right track after the 2010 World Cup hosts scored an emphatic 3-0 win over Paraguay in a friendly in Pretoria.

Brazilian Parreira had been under pressure in recent weeks after a series of disappointing results, including first round elimination in the African Nations Cup finals in Ghana at the start of the year.

"We are on track," said Parreira after Wednesday's win.

"I'm happy not only because of the result itself but because of the performance of the players against an experienced side."

Goals from Surprise Moriri, Benni McCarthy and Simphiwe Tshabalala delivered the win.

"It was time to start winning. We don't want only development but development and results as well. That's why the win was very promising."

Parreira said he would continue to experiment with players and combinations until the end of the year. Then he would look to form a squad of some 35 players who would have 18 months to prepare for the World Cup finals in June 2010.

"We don't have to change the process, we know what we are doing," he said. "We know we have to also get results but there must be patience."

South Africa next play in the World Cup preliminaries, also being used as qualifiers for the 2010 African Nations Cup finals.

They meet Nigeria in Abuja on May 31 and have three more matches in June against Sierra Leone (twice) and Equatorial Guinea.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)