South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has received a major boost ahead of next Saturday’s elective congress, with Sportswire reporting strong regional support for his re-election bid in both KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape.
According to Sportswire, Jordaan secured the backing of six of the eight Eastern Cape regions on Saturday, strengthening his Football Transformation Forum (FTF) campaign ahead of the 12 September elections in Johannesburg.
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The regions reported to have pledged their support are Nelson Mandela Bay, Sarah Baartman, Buffalo City, Chris Hani, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo.
This follows developments in KwaZulu-Natal, where Sportswire reported that nine of the province’s 11 regions had endorsed Jordaan’s campaign.
The reported KZN support includes eThekwini, uMkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, iLembe, Zululand, Ugu and uMzimyathi, while the status of some other regions has been complicated by internal leadership disputes.
Jordaan has been touring the country as he seeks another term as SAFA president, promoting his FTF platform and engaging regional football structures.
His main challenger is AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu, who is seeking to unseat the long-serving incumbent.
According to Sportswire, the growing number of regional endorsements has raised questions within football circles about the strength of Zungu’s campaign, with one insider quoted as saying: “The regions are questioning what is happening with Zungu’s campaign.”
However, the endorsements should not necessarily be viewed as guaranteed votes, with the final outcome only determined when delegates cast their ballots at the elective congress.
With the election now just days away, the battle between Jordaan and Zungu is entering its final and potentially most decisive stage.
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Mbali Hlophe
www.ewn.co.za