Danny Jordaan re-elected as SAFA president until 2030

Dr Danny Jordaan has been re-elected president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), defeating AmaZulu Football Club president Sandile Zungu at Saturday’s elective congress.

Jordaan secured 157 votes, while Zungu received 82, allowing the incumbent to retain leadership of the association despite his previous indication that he would not seek another term.

First elected as SAFA president in 2013, Jordaan will now remain in the role until at least 2030. Zungu had expressed confidence before the vote that he could unseat Jordaan, but ultimately fell well short of the required support.

A total of 52 regions, 10 associate members, the special member National Soccer League and 41 NEC members were expected to participate in the election.

However, three regions were disqualified from voting. They were Amajuba in KwaZulu-Natal, Sarah Baartman in the Eastern Cape and Pixley Ka Seme in the Northern Cape, according to SABC.

Jordaan’s latest victory extends his leadership of South African football after he had said following his previous re-election in 2022 that he would not stand again.

Progress on the pitch

During his time in charge, SAFA has overseen a number of significant achievements involving South Africa’s senior and junior national teams.

Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana both reached the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup for the first time. Banyana also won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, while Bafana finished third at the 2025 AFCON.

There was further success in 2025 when Amajita won their first-ever U20 AFCON title.

Despite those results, Jordaan’s tenure has also faced persistent criticism and controversy. His presidency has been overshadowed by allegations of corruption and accusations of money laundering, as well as continuing disputes between the senior national teams and SAFA over bonus payments.

The association has also been criticised over poor tournament preparations, particularly at youth level, which have affected the wider development of football in South Africa.