Brazilian World Cup winner Carlos Alberto Parreira will announce his resignation as coach of South Africa, soccer federation officials said on Sunday.

Parreira will meet with the federation's executive committee to explain he is being forced to end his tenure after just 16 months because of the poor health of his wife.

He is expected to make the announcement at a media briefing on Monday, officials said.

Parreira, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994, had been tasked with preparing South Africa's side for the 2010 World Cup, which the country is hosting.

Johannesburg's Sunday Times reported his wife Leila was suffering from cancer.

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