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The stakes could not be higher. After weeks of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, the race for the presidency of the South African Football Association (Safa) and other important positions will reach a crescendo on Saturday.The Safa elective conference takes place in Midrand, where delegates will be voting for the organisation’s president — a choice between incumbent Danny Jordaan and strong challenger Sandile Zungu. Jordaan, 75, wants to extend his leadership at Safa House, but for the first time he is facing strong competition from Zungu.Durban-born Zungu has been campaigning on the ticket of good governance, an area where Jordaan’s Safa has been found wanting on numerous occasions in the past.Over the past few months, Jordaan and Zungu have criss-crossed the length and breadth of South Africa to sell their manifestos to the regions as they battle for the heart and soul of South African football. There are 265 votes for numerous positions, including that of president, from the regions, national executive committee (NEC), associate and special members. As the hours tick closer to crunch time, it is difficult to predict which way it’s going to go because Zungu and Jordaan appear to be in a neck-and-neck race.In the past, Jordaan has brushed aside opponents, but it is different this time with Zungu staying in the contest and with a genuine chance of causing a major upset.For me it’s important to sell a vision for the future of Safa because that’s where the biggest challenge is, that we have stopped dreaming and we have been sucked into the present fighting over things that don’t build us.— Sandile ZunguThough Zungu has mounted a strong challenge, there are widely held suggestions that perhaps he left it a little too late to challenge Jordaan, who is highly popular in the regions.The other interesting dynamic in this battle is that Zungu does not enjoy support from his home province, according to the chair of Safa in KwaZulu-Natal, Kwenza Ngwenya. Speaking recently, Ngwenya said Zungu lacked the experience to lead Safa, and he backed Jordaan to continue.Ngwenya said Jordaan must continue leading the organisation because he has done a good job, which is proved by the performance of the national teams internationally, including Bafana Bafana reaching the knockout stages of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.During his numerous public appearances over the past few weeks, Zungu was confident that he had covered enough ground to convince Jordaan’s loyalists to vote for him.Zungu, the chair of Betway Premiership side AmaZulu, has promised to transform the game in the country by restoring integrity and promoting grassroots development, women’s and schools’ football. “For me it’s important to sell a vision for the future of Safa because that’s where the biggest challenge is ... We have stopped dreaming and we have been sucked into the present fighting over things that don’t build us,” Zungu said recently. “There is no doubt in my mind that the future of South African football lies in reviving school football, it lies in understanding the full potential of women in football and supporting their endeavours. It also lies in us fixing governance and becoming a lot more accountable,” he added. Sandile Zungu in Johannesburg on September 7 2026. Picture: (BackpagePix) Zungu, who is a successful businessman with interests in many fields, is seen by his supporters as a man who will bring integrity and stability to the organisation that has had its fair share of challenges over the years. Under his leadership, AmaZulu has performed consistently. One of their highlights was qualifying for the Champions League under coach Benni McCarthy a few years ago. If chosen by delegates to be the man to lead Safa into the future, Zungu will have to relinquish his position at the club, just like former Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe did when he assumed the leadership of Caf. His mission is not going to be an easy one because Jordaan is moving on fertile ground, having been president of Safa since 2013 when he replaced Kirsten Nematandani. Since then, he has successfully swatted aside his challengers in 2018 and 2022 and his Football Transformation (FTF) group is confident of a fourth successive term. In recent months, Jordaan has been criticised by the media for not speaking about the elections, leaving that job to senior figures in FTF.FTF is confident despite the fact that Jordaan has been in and out of courts since 2024 when he was arrested with Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo on accusations of using the organisation’s resources for his personal gain. Jordaan has maintained his innocence, arguing that his arrest is an orchestration by distractors within Safa structures who want to tarnish his image and drive sponsors away. Despite the serious allegations against him, Jordaan enjoys a lot of support from the regions and the NEC who are going to be key during the voting process.Jordaan, who has served in various capacities at Safa, is credited as playing a major role in bringing the 2010 Fifa World Cup to South Africa. He has his fierce critics who have slammed him for the poor standard of football development in the country and alleged poor governance at Safa House. He always counters critics by saying both men’s and women’s national teams at various levels are qualifying for major tournaments. Of late, his detractors have blamed him and Safa for the shoddy handling of the appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the new Bafana coach to replace Hugo Broos. Time for talking is almost over with D-Day fast approaching, the stakes are indeed high.
