Radebe ‘not eligible’ for Safa top role

FORMER Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe’s eligibility to run for the position of South African Football Association (Safa) president is in doubt after it emerged that he does not meet the requirements for the top job.

Radebe announced his interest in the position last year, but Safa national executive committee member and Football Transformation Forum secretary-general Mzwandile Maforvane said the former Bafana skipper was not eligible.

“The electoral code says the candidate needs to have served in the Safa structures for a period of five years in the leadup to the election‚” Maforvane said.

“[Radebe] has never served in any Safa structure in the five years leading up to the election. He has served in the Safa technical committee but that is not a Safa structure.”

Radebe said yesterday he was seeking further clarity on the electoral code and had asked Safa to furnish him with further details on whether he could contest the March 24 election or not.

Asked if he would pull out of the race if Safa confirmed he was indeed ineligible to run‚ Radebe said: “I will be in a better position to make an announcement on the way forward after I have got clarity on the electoral rules.”

Maforvane said Radebe needed to have either served in the Safa regions‚ in the regional executive committees or in the Safa associate members.

The Safa associate members are, among others, the South African Masters and Legends Football Association‚ the Industrial Football Association of SA‚ the SA Deaf Football Association and the SA Football Coaches’ Association.

Radebe said his decision to run for Safa president was not motivated by a hunger for power and as a former player he wanted to give back to South African football.

“For me it was never about power‚ but about concern for our football‚” the former Leeds United captain said.

Radebe finds himself in a similar position to Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana‚ who discovered on Monday that there are questions being asked about his eligibility to run for Safa president.

Nonkonyana is running for president but Maforvane said his expulsion by the association in October 2014 prohibited his inclusion on the nominations list.

Maforvane said besides the question of eligibility‚ Nonkonyana could not stand against incumbent Danny Jordaan in the election as he owed Safa almost R900 000 after losing the court cases he instituted against Safa following his expulsion.

Nominations open 60 days before the election day and Jordaan appears to already be in the driver’s seat.