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Johannesburg - The South African Football Association (SAFA) on Tuesday slammed what it termed misleading and inaccurate reports of a devious power struggle to assume the role of president of the controlling organisation of the country's soccer when current incumbent Molefi Oliphant resigns in September.
A statement to this effect followed a meeting of SAFA's Management Committee, whose signatories included World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan and LOC president and PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza - ironically suggested as the focal figures in the "dirty" war to assume what is effectively the top administrative position in South African soccer. The Management Committee's statement said the so-called Football Transformation Forum, which was convened over the week-end, was not made up of a majority of SAFA affiliates who voted for Jordaan to be their preferred candidate for the SAFA presidency as had been claimed, "but was in fact an election campaign meeting."
Furthermore the statement pooh-poohed the allegation of R30 000 and cell phone bribery offers to SAFA provincial delegates to vote for a particular candidate in the election for the president - claiming no evidence had been forthcoming to support the claims.
Also revealed was the fact that a resolutions relating to the purchase of properties for the SAFA regions dated back to December 2005 and linking it to the presidential election was a malicious attempt to influence the elections. In view of both Khoza and Jordaan lending their weight in condemning the bitter nature of the presidency election reports, it would suggest the reports that have SAFA up-in-arms are distorted.
However, there remains a substantial body of opinion that is convinced that only the fear of damaging the hosting of the 2010 World Cup has not resulted in open warfare between Khoza and Jordaan - with the suggestion made where there is smoke there must be some fire burning.
