TAMALE (Reuters) - South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said he believes there is still a long wait ahead before an African team wins the World Cup.

Parreira, who has coached at five World Cups with four different teams including his native Brazil, said he thought it would need at least another three tournaments before Africa made the breakthrough.

"For 20 years, people have been saying it will happen at the next World Cup but looking at it now I think it will take more time," he told Reuters.

"Looking at it now, I think there is one team with real class which is Ivory Coast -- apart from this team, nobody has got what it takes to win a World Cup.

"Nigeria has lost this, Cameroon has lost it, Egypt have good players but there is something lacking -- maybe history and tradition.

"Ghana have good players but you still don't see that team with potential to win. I think it will need another three World Cups."

South Africa will became the first country on the continent to host the tournament in 2010.

Parreira's team are housed in a modest hotel surrounded by dusty streets but he refused to complain about the facilities in Tamale.

"The stadium is world class, unbelievable, although I do not think this city was ready to host four big teams.

"The people here are very warm. The other day I went outside to a village and I was received by the chief with more than 50 kids around me."

(Editing by Justin Palmer)