Marrakesh: Luiz Felipe Scolari, the man who steered Brazil to their 2002 World Cup victory in Asia, lent his support on Sunday to Morocco’s bid to host the 2010 finals.

Scolari, now coaching Euro 2004 hosts Portugal, said he believed the north African nation “had everything ready to do a great job if they host the finals.”

The Brazilian, and his family, were guests of the Moroccan bid team for the weekend and he visited both Casablanca and Marrakesh where he inspected stadia and training facilities.

“I spent three years working in Kuwait and I would be very happy to see the finals go to an Arab nation, to a Muslim country,” he said. “Morocco also has a great football history and it is a beautiful place with very kind people.

“I am sure there will be a lot of people supporting this bid. They are well organised and they have done so much work to get ready. I am sure they will do a great job.”

Morocco is competing with South Africa, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia for the right to stage Africa’s first World Cup. Scolari, visiting Morocco for the first time, was invited to give advice and opinions on Morocco’s facilities in his role as “the man who coached the world champions”.

Asked about his Portugal team’s chances of winning the European championship, Scolari was more evasive.

“Any one of eight or ten teams can win this championship,” he said. “There are a lot of great teams and players in the tournament. I think there are a lot of very high quality players taking part and, of course, it can be won in just six matches.”

“If my country wanted to ask me, this would mean very much to me. It would be the same for any country, an honour. But I am happy with my job now in Portugal.”

“Last year, (in the Fifa World Player of the Year poll) I voted for Roberto Carlos ahead of Zinedine Zidane,” he said,. “But this year I think it will be Ronaldinho. It his time now.”