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After weathering the storm and withstanding criticism to secure his fifth term in office, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has his work cut out for him in the next four years.
The 79-year-old, who was endorsed by 133 of the 209 voting members on Friday, will have to unite the warring factions and take Fifa to new heights.
Despite failing to get the two-thirds majority necessary in the first round, his rival Prince Ali bin Hussein (73 votes) conceded before the second-round vote and withdrew from the race.
Safa president Danny Jordaan said Friday’s election was a watershed moment for Fifa.
“It was the first time that somebody seriously opposed Blatter and there was real campaigning from both sides, which was fought within the global context,” said Jordaan.
In 2011, Bin Hammam wanted to challenge Blatter, but he was suspended by Fifa’s ethics committee over allegations of financial irregularities and was barred from the congress.
After this week’s drama that preceded the Fifa congress, when nine current and former Fifa officials were arrested on bribery and corruption charges, Jordaan said Blatter must now give future direction to the organisation.
“He needs to be strong and bring about significant changes, like governance to Fifa. But the huge challenge is to bring unity to all the members as there are deep divisions. He must work hard to rebuild solidarity.”
Already the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has said that it could withdraw its cooperation with Fifa. Some have even advocated for Europe and its sporting allies to pull out of Fifa entirely.
Uefa president Michel Platini said the group would review its position when its executives meet in Berlin before the Champions League final on Saturday.
“We will be open to all options,” said Platini.
In his acceptance speech, Blatter promised to stabilise the organisation.
“For the next four years, I will be in command of this boat called Fifa. And we will bring it back on shore. We need more respect for the Oceania confederation.
“And although I agree that we don’t touch the Fifa World Cup, we need more balance for the Fifa youth tournaments. We also need more women in the football institutions.”
He vowed to fix the organisation.
“We don’t need revolutions. We need evolutions. I’m being held accountable for the storm. Okay, I will shoulder that responsibility.”
This was after the officials were arrested in Zurich.
Blatter said the next two World Cups in Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) would go ahead amid an outcry from his critics that the hosting rights of the two countries be reviewed.
Jordaan said Blatter’s new term in office should be “a term of change”
