RIYADH, 19 December 2005 — The Saudi Football Federation (SFF) may pick Al-Hilal club’s coach Carlos Bakita to replace Argentine Gabriel Calderon, who left Saudi Arabia to be with his ailing mother and brother.
An SFF source confirmed that the federation is negotiating with the Hilal Club to get Bakita to coach the national team in preparation for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The source also said that Calderon might officially tender his resignation to the federation by Wednesday.
Bakita, a Brazilian, has led teams to win the World Youth Cup twice.
Al-Hilal Club has taken full advantage of Bakita’s experience in reshaping their team since appointing him 10 months ago. Bakita has a good reputation in Saudi Arabia, having guided Hilal to five titles in less than a year.
