Danny Jordaan re-elected as SAFA president and backs Gianni Infantino

Danny Jordaan has been re-elected as president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) for a fourth term and immediately declared his organisation’s support for under-pressure FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Jordaan defeated challenger Sandile Zungu by 157 votes to 82 at a closely watched elective congress at Vodaworld in Midrand on Thursday. If he completes the four-year term, Jordaan will be 79 years old when he leaves office.

“We support Gianni Infantino and you may say why support him?” Jordaan said. “The issue is really of private investment and equity in football. You may not know, but La Liga is 20% owned by a private investment company.

“French football and in England, some of the team are wholly owned by corporate entities. What I don’t agree with is lack of consultation and agreement with Fifa members.”

Jordaan was also supportive of some of the progress made during Infantino’s past four years in charge of FIFA, while making clear that he wanted greater consultation with member associations.

Zungu accepted the result despite expressing disappointment at losing the contest.

“Fifa, Cosafa had representation and I don’t believe that my interests will be served by being part of any attempt at ridiculing what happened today,” he said.

“It was not picture perfect from a credentials point of view, but I do accept the outcome. I was on the losing side, I am disappointed, but I am happy that I fought this fight and it was a good fight.

“We accept the outcome that we got more than 80 votes and Dr Jordaan got just under 160.”

Asked whether he would seek the presidency again, Zungu said he would not make an immediate decision.

“I am not sure [if I would run again]. Most of the time it’s easy to give an emotional response after a disappointing outcome. I am not going to fall into that trap, it is important to sleep over things and reflect,” he said.

“You must allow people who were in the campaign to influence you in terms of how to go forward. The campaign was intense, it started just before the World Cup and it continued up to today.”

Zungu said he intended to remain president of AmaZulu FC, which he described as the oldest team in South African football and his passion. He also highlighted the club’s youth teams, which compete in the Safa leagues at under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19 level.

Safa Cape Town president Bennet Bailey also accepted the result, despite raising concerns about the handling of certain disqualifications.

“Congress has spoken and this is what we have to respect, this is how democracy works,” Bailey said. “Democracy gives you the right to vote and contest and this is what happened.”

He said questions over the disqualification of some regions and one NEC member could be addressed another day, adding that the governance committee had provided its reasons and that the group had taken part in the vote.