Pedro Gonçalves says Alexandre Santos has transformed Petro de Luanda to be a strong team in Africa

Santos, who is strongly linked to the vacant Kaizer Chiefs coaching role, clinched his third successive Girabola league title with an impressive two games to spare just yesterday.

Santos, who hails from Portugal, is one of the leading candidates for the Chiefs job, with preliminary talks between his camp and the club believed to have taken place.

In an exclusive interview with SABC Sport after the COSAFA Technical Study Group Symposium in Johannesburg recently, Gonçalves says Santos has done a very good job with Petro.

"He's very dedicated and once again one of my friends, so I'm very delighted with the work that he's done to now with Petro. He's the principle favourite to get once again the title which is very important for sure for Petro," Gonçalves said.

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Gonçalves, who appeared to be aware of Chiefs' interest in Santos but didn’t want to elaborate further when asked, says Santos (47), who has won three league titles during his three-year spell at the club, is more than capable of any big project on the continent if it interests him.

"It depends on him if he's really focused on that. I speak with him sometimes because he's the coach of the club and I feel he's very involved with the Pedro project but I don't know what's in his mind but it depends on him," he added.

Santos, known for his strategic approach and ability to motivate his team, has also ensured that Petro remains one of the top teams on the continent during his time in Angola.

Under his guidance, the team advanced to the CAF Champions League (CAFCL) semi-finals and group stages, and this season, they reached the quarterfinals.

Santos’ contract at Petro finishes at the end of this season, and they play their last game of the season on Saturday against Bravos do Maquis.