Danny Jordaan Has Won Again. South African Football Has Given Him A Fourth Term

THE RESULT

SAFA announced the result on September 12. Jordaan, 75, won 157 votes against Zungu’s 82, extending a presidency that began in 2013.

Jordaan was a central figure in South Africa’s successful bid and organisation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup staged on the African continent.

AN ELECTION HELD UNDER PRESSURE

The vote followed reports of threats, harassment and intimidation directed at some delegates. SAFA had said security would be tightened and that police would be alerted.

There is no public evidence linking either presidential campaign to those threats, and ARN should not imply such a connection.

THE LEGAL CLOUD REMAINS

Jordaan is also facing criminal charges relating to alleged fraud and theft involving SAFA funds. He and his co-accused deny wrongdoing, and the case has not gone to trial.

His re-election therefore settles the leadership contest but not the wider governance questions surrounding South African football.

WHY THIS MATTERS

South Africa remains one of Africa’s most important football markets and a former World Cup host. A fourth Jordaan term means continuity at the top of SAFA at a time when critics have been calling for change and the federation faces scrutiny over governance.