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South Africa’s decision not to vote for Morocco as hosts for the 2026 World Cup might come back to bite Danny Jordaan as he bids for a seat on the Fifa council today.
This is the view of African football analyst Mamadou Gaye of Ivory Coast.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) members will today vote for a candidate to replace disgraced Ghanaian Kwesi Nyantakyi, who stepped down from both CAF and Fifa positions after being embroiled in a bribery scandal.
The vote will determine who gets a seat in the 37-member Fifa council, which replaced the executive committee when the global body embarked on a serious reform programme following a scandal that nearly brought it to its knees.
Jordaan’s name will be one of five that will go into the hat today for the CAF delegates to decide who will represent them on the world football controlling body’s highest decision-making entity.
Other candidates are Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu-Manda, Seychelles Football Federation head Elvis Chetty, Federation of Uganda Football Associations president Moses Hassim Magogo and former Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president Leodgar Chilla Tenga.
Three experts on African football politics – Nigerian-born journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, who is also a qualified lawyer; Gaye; and Zambian veteran journalist Ponga Liwewe – cautiously tipped Jordaan to win the vote, but also raised some concerns.
“The best candidates and most eminently qualified are Jordaan and Tenga of Tanzania,” said Obayiuwana.
“I’ve known Danny for more than 20 years and Tenga for many years. Tenga is very articulate. Either would represent Africa very well at Fifa because they are the most qualified and able. However, we all know how African football politics are. CAF members have their own reasons for electing candidates and that might not be the most qualified and capable person.
“The fact that Cosafa has three candidates is a sign of African football problems. It shows that there is no cohesion and unity. This does not augur well for the southern African region, which has not had a representative in Fifa for 12 years, since [Ismail] Bhamjee was expelled in 2006. It will be unfair for Cosafa not to get a representative in.”
Gaye, who is in Cairo, Egypt, said: “The information I’m hearing on the ground is that Danny will win it. Fifa and a number of national association presidents would like to see him get in.”
However, he said Morocco and CAF president Ahmad Ahmad were working hard against Jordaan.
“Ahmad has been fully captured by Morocco, hence there have been more CAF meetings held in that country than at the CAF headquarters in Cairo.
“They have also not forgiven Danny for voting against Morocco in their bid to host the 2026 World Cup.”
Gaye said Morocco had been working very hard to entrench itself as a major power broker and kingmaker in African football.
“They currently have contracts with 30 African countries, which involve assisting their national associations with funding of between $1 million [R14 million] and $5 million. They have a huge project going on in Malawi, hence Nyamilandu-Manda is their and Ahmad’s favoured candidate.
“Morocco currently has three members serving in the CAF finance committee and the chair of the audit committee is also from that country. This means that Morocco has a huge say in how the $150 million that was left by Issa Hayatou in the CAF’s coffers is spent.”
Liwewe declared outright that “Danny is the best candidate because of his experience of hosting the World Cup and his working with Fifa. He stands head and shoulders above all the other candidates.
“But the dynamics of African football have taught us that it’s not always that the best candidate wins.
“I was surprised that, after making an undertaking to support one candidate, Cosafa now has three.
“Tenga is also a great candidate, having been through all the ranks of football, from being a national team captain and national association president to heading the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations [Cecafa].
“However, having served under the old guard of Hayatou’s executive might prove to be the baggage that makes him unpopular.
“The two other candidates from Cosafa [Nyamilandu-Manda and Chetty] are lacking a bit on experience, but they still have a long way ahead of them until they eventually make it.
“Danny comes with a lot of experience, but a lack of support from the CAF president might affect his chances.
“Also, if the CAF president’s favoured candidate fails, it might point to all not being well in the house.”
Jordaan was chief executive when South Africa failed the bid to host the 2006 World Cup, and the successful one for 2010. He served the 2010 local organising committee in the same capacity and has served on different CAF and Fifa sub-committees. He is currently a CAF executive committee member.
Tenga, a CAF executive committee member, became TFF president in 2005 after serving as secretary-general from 1988 to 1990. He was a member of the National Sports Council of Tanzania from 1990 to 2002 and its vice-chair from 2000 to 2002. In 2007, Tenga was elected for a four-year term as chair of Cecafa.
Magogo is also a CAF executive committee member and serves in the reforms sub-committee.
Chetty is in his second term as his federation’s president. He recently told SuperSport.com: “I want to help protect the integrity of the beautiful game while promoting the game across Africa as I share my experiences and competencies.”
He is a former vice-chairperson of the CAF disciplinary committee and a former member of the Fifa Club World Cup organising committee.
Chetty currently serves as a member of the CAF Afcon committee and is a judge of Fifa disputes.
