KickOff can reveal that Kaizer Chiefs have taken their search for the man who will take over from Cavin Johnson in the new year to the world's most successful football nation – Brazil.
Chiefs currently have Johnson temporarily in charge until at least the end of the year with the plan to have a new gaffer at the start of 2024.
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The plan is to have the new man taking over during the six-week AFCON break.
Chiefs have games against Moroka Swallows (November 26), Polokwane City (December 9), Richards Bay (December 23), and Sekhukhune United (December 30) to play before the end of the year after which they will then play TS Galaxy on February 13.
This website can confirm that Chiefs have contacted Brazilian coach Alexandre Gallo.
Gallo is currently with Brazilian Serie A club Santos in Sao Paulo – the club that gave this world Pele.
The 56-year-old is the team co-ordinator at Santos having held the post since August.
The Brazilian Serie A season is due to end in December – which will be the perfect time for Galo to leave Santos and pack his bags for South Africa.
Gallo was teammates with Arthur Zwane and former Jomo Cosmos midfield master Kennedy Nagoli during his playing days at Santos.
Besides Santos, Galo played for Botafogo, Atletico Mineiro, and Corinthians where his career ended in 2001.
His coaching career started as an assistant to former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira at Corinthians.
This website understands that Gallo's ability to converse in English has given him the advantage in landing the job at Chiefs as he comes with the recommendation of the retired Parreira.
Chiefs have already had a video session with Gallo and is a strong candidate in the shortlist that the club has now drawn up.
Besides his time at Corinthians, Gallo also worked as the second in charge at Gremio and Santos where he won the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A (Brazilian Championship) as assistant to Vanderlei Luxemburgo at Santos.
Then as head coach, Galo has been with Villa Nova, Portuguesa, Santos, Botafogo, and Figueirense amongst several Brazilian clubs and has worked in Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and has also been the head coach of the Brazil Under-17 and Under-20 squads.
He has won silverware at Internacional, Figueirense, Sao Caetano, and with the Brazil Under-20 and Olympic squad.
Chiefs have a concoction of problems that have left them clutching at straws as the bite of the trophy drought deepens.
The last two appointments in Arthur Zwane and Molefi Ntseki have bordered on experiments more than on merit while Steve Komphela and Giovanni Solinas were also appointed without having won silverware before on the domestic scene.
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Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, and Stuart Baxter were credible appointments but were all sacked in the end.
AmaKhosi last had a taste of trophy happiness in May 2015 which has irritated their fan base.