Re-elected Danny Jordaan backs Gianni Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise plan

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan has thrown his weight behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal following his re-election for a fourth term.

Jordaan secured a landslide victory at the SAFA elective congress in Midrand on Saturday, September 12, 2026, defeating challenger Sandile Zungu by 157 votes to 82.

Following his victory, the veteran football administrator joined a growing number of African football leaders who have publicly expressed support for Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise plan has faced criticism from several quarters, particularly over concerns about consultation with FIFA’s member associations and the prospect of greater private investment in football.

However, Jordaan defended the principle of private investment, pointing to established examples of private and corporate ownership within European football.

“We support Gianni Infantino, and I’ll tell you why. The issue pertains to private investment in football business. In England, a lot of the teams are completely owned by corporate entities and managed by private equity. The Spanish La Liga is also partly owned by a private investment company. PSG is owned by a country, Qatar,” Jordaan said.

Despite his backing for Infantino, Jordaan admitted that the consultation process surrounding the FFE proposal could have been handled differently.

“I don’t agree with the lack of consultation with the FIFA members,” he added.

Jordaan also revealed that Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe were among the first football leaders to contact him following his re-election.

The 74-year-old has led SAFA since 2013, when he succeeded Kirsten Nematandani, and secured another four-year mandate despite previously indicating that his third term would be his final one.

Addressing questions about his decision to seek another term, Jordaan said the wishes of SAFA’s regional structures had to be respected.

“I don’t appoint myself within SAFA even if you may think that way, because SAFA is a democratic organisation. Tomorrow they can have a vote of no confidence and I’ll be out,” he said.

“We can’t have someone new come in and start from day one in terms of placing South Africa in the global context.”

Jordaan also confirmed that SAFA will hold a workshop with FIFA as part of efforts to shape the association’s development strategy.

“We are having a workshop with FIFA to deal with Vision 2030,” he said.

The newly elected 41-member SAFA National Executive Committee includes five women, up from three in the previous administration.

The NEC is largely made up of members aligned with Jordaan’s Football Transformation (FTF) camp, while only four representatives from the Save Our SAFA (SOS) group that backed Zungu were elected.

The new leadership combines experienced administrators with younger members, with several NEC members having previously served in SAFA leadership during Jordaan’s third term.