Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Parreira has resigned and will return home to Brazil, the SA Football Association (Safa) said on Monday.

It said a "family dilemma" prompted his move.

At a media briefing in Johannesburg, Safa chief executive Raymond Hack, reading a letter from Parreira dated 14 April, said the Brazilian's last working day as coach would be 2 May.

Parreira had agreed to remain a technical advisor to Safa, Hack told reporters at Safa House.

His technical staff and assistant coach would remain in South Africa to ensure a smooth transition and continue to prepare for the 2010 World Cup.

Parreira would also help Safa find the next coach for the team.

Parreira said it was a "very difficult" decision for him to make, adding it was "heartbreaking" that he would not be involved in his eighth word cup tournament.

"It was my dream."

He said he could no longer maintain the balance between his personal life and business life.

"My family, my wife needs me. After being married 36 years, I could not say no," Parreira said.

Of his career which spanned 40 years, he had spent 19 years outside of Brazil, and had been able to maintain the balance.

"But I could not keep this [balance].

"There is no winner in such a situation... It's not good for me to break this contract in the middle when everything was going so well."

Parreira has fulfilled fifteen months of his four-year contract.

He said everything was in place for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup.

"We are going to have a very good World Cup."

Safa president Molefi Olifant said the news of Parreira's request to relinquish his position came as a shock.

He said Parreira told him it was difficult to focus on the preparation of the team with his wife's health deteriorating.

Parreira first approached Safa on 4 April and at a subsequent meeting on 7 April, he notified them of his intention to leave Bafana Bafana and return home.

"It was a shock to me, it was at a point of time when the team was doing so well," he said.

AFP