Jordaan’s crown won’t rest easy as his detractors gun for his throne
Re-elected Safa boss set for a reign full of compromise
There is an old English idiomatic expression that succinctly puts re-elected Safa president Danny Jordaan’s forthcoming four years at the helm of the powerful football position into perspective. It declares, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”.
Last Saturday’s crucial Safa poll to install the person to lead the sport most followed by the masses of this country, has been marred by acrimony since the beginning of the campaign early this year.
And the newly re-elected Jordaan, much as he emerged unscathed from all the controversy leading up to the polls, has no option but to embrace his detractors amid continuing threats of litigation to declare the elections invalid following allegations of bribery and vote rigging levelled against him by his nemeses.
Some of his opponents, such as vice-president Ria Ledwaba, have vowed to leave no stone unturned in uncovering the truth about the amendment to the constitution and the rules governing elections, just weeks before the fiercely contested polls. Incredibly, some Safa regional leaders allege receiving death threats warning them of the direction voting should take.
Journalists covering the elections were manhandled and verbally abused when Jordaan was questioned about when he had decided to run for a third term. He said it was not his decision but was nominated.
While addressing members of the media, Jordaan invited national executive committee members to weigh in, a move that led to a verbal attack on journos by Safa NEC member Tankiso Modipa, and one of the cameramen was physically attacked to prevent him from filming the incident.
Safa released a lame apology afterwards. Modipa’s reaction was that of a big-headed NEC member. Was there something to hide? Did the media hit a nerve?
So, uneasy is the crown Jordaan is wearing as he vouches to work with his critics, like his opponents Ledwaba and Safa Tshwane region president Solly Mohlabeng, as well as the most important stakeholders, the lobby groups outside Safa like the South African Masters and Legends Football Association (SAMLFA), and former Bafana Bafana players.
The Safa head honcho finds himself between a rock and hard place. His predicament is that he has to please his supporters in the form of the bloated 40-member NEC, the 52 Safa regions, and most significantly, football organisations such as SAMLFA.
After securing a third term by a landslide, Jordaan has to convince sceptics that clean governance will be the order of the day for the next four years.
It will be a mammoth task to convince people. The perception is that SA football is run by a bunch of mafiosi.
As former Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba bluntly put it, “SA football is run by crooks”.
Mashaba knows what he is talking about. He worked with Jordaan until he was fired following public criticism by Jordaan and former CEO Dennis Mumble of Bafana’s failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Does Mashaba have an axe to grind?
Judge for yourself.
Jordaan has to embrace his detractors amid litigation threats