Safa boss Danny appears to be untouchable

Sy Lerman

In what will amount to little more than a mock election later this month, Safa president Danny Jordaan (right) is now virtually certain to be re-elected president of South African football’s controlling body amid allegations of a “football capture”.

This has emerged following Safa’s announcement this week that only two nominations had been accepted for the presidential election, with Jordaan being nominated by 52 regional associations and former top referee Ace Ncobo the choice of a mere one association.

In the process a whole host of other potential nominations, who include former Gauteng premier, business tycoon Tokyo Sexwale, former Bafana Bafana capain Lucas Radebe, suspended Safa vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana and deposed Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba, have all fallen by the wayside after being declared ineligible to stand because they were not directly affiliated to the national body.

Sexwale, who was considered by many to be the most viable candidate to oppose Jordaan, said he was not interested in becoming involved in a dog fight and had only declared his interest in the Safa presidency to assist South African football and on the proviso his election was unanimous.

It was curious that while Safa viewed him ineligible for the presidential election, Sexwale is in good standing with world controlling body Fifa, who only recently appointed him to head a vital commission investigating the thorny issue of Israeli-Palestinian football relations.

And Sexwale, in the process, left no doubt about how he felt by the undercurrent of intrigue and controversy declaring that “anyone who believes there is nothing wrong with South African football should have his head read”.

Nonkonyana, who at one stage said he would throw his weight behind Sexwale in order to improve the chances of meaningful change within Safa, has now reverted to joining the presidential battle in his own right by taking the matter of nominations to the courts.

But at this point it would appear that Jordaan is untouchable.