South China can't get enough of Casemiro Mior with Brazilian set for third stint as coach

Brazilian is poised to return to the Caroliners for his third stint as coach

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Casemiro Mior will be looking for more success like this one, with Eastern in the Senior Shield, if he joins South China for the third time. Photo: Dustin Shum

Published: 9:00pm, 6 May 2015Updated: 9:43am, 7 May 2015

Former South China coach Casemiro Mior is set to return to the Caroliners' helm for the third time following the departure of Mario Gomez last week.

Argentinian Gomez disclosed his move to Johor Darul Ta'zim of the Malaysia Super League after their defeat by Eastern in the FA Cup semi-finals and Mior, who led South China to a treble in 2007, seems the ideal replacement coach.

The Brazilian will arrive in Hong Kong today and will watch their final league match of the season on Saturday against rivals Eastern, a side Mior steered to the Senior Shield title in 2008.

He has not yet signed but we are very confident he will be putting pen to paper soon

Source close to South China

Mior coached South China from 1998 to 2003 before heading home to Brazil. In 2006, he returned to Hong Kong and took up the reins again at the Caroliners, replacing Portuguese coach Jorge Amaral at the invitation of their former convenor Steven Lo Kit-sing.

Under Mior, South China won the league, Senior Shield and FA Cup in 2007, after which he joined Eastern for one season before returning to Brazil where he has been coaching district teams.

Mario Gomez (left), with player Lau Cheuk-hin, recently left South China for Malaysia. Photo: SCMP Pictures

."He has not yet signed but we are very confident he will be putting pen to paper soon," said a source close to the Caroliners.

Despite failing in all four major domestic competitions this season, South China are still pursuing in AFC Cup qualification and have reached the round of 16 with five victories so far. They will also appear in the season play-off for a place in the AFC Cup in 2016.