Danny Jordaan’s deputies tasked with shaping Safa’s Vision 2030 for football development

At the South African Football Association’s three-day national executive committee (NEC) meeting that ended on Sunday in Sandton, Linda Zwane, Anastasia “Natasha” Tsichlas and Tankiso Modipa were elected as the three deputies of the association’s president, Danny Jordaan.

While Zwane and Tsichlas are returning for second terms as vice-presidents, Modipa is new to the role, replacing Safa Cape Town region chairperson Bennett Bailey. Bafana Bafana legend Dr Khumalo was also elected deputy to technical committee chairperson Jack Maluleke.

Jordaan, who secured his fourth term by defeating AmaZulu owner Sandile Zungu at the elective congress in Midrand last month, emphasised that the vice-president election process was “transparent”, although he was reluctant to reveal who challenged the elected trio, who have always been on his side.

“We determined the vice-presidents by an open ballot, which was observed by all of the members. The election showed the transparency and the commitment of Safa to deal with these matters in an open, transparent way,” Jordaan told a presser at the NH hotel on Sunday evening.

The 75-year-old Safa boss also highlighted that his three deputies will play a central role in putting together the fundamentals of Safa’s Vision 2030, alongside the association’s CEO Lydia Monyepao.

“The next step is for the vice-presidents to come together with the CEO to put together Vision 2030. In the elements of Vision 2030, it’s about schools, football development and the excellence of our various national teams,” Jordaan said.

Modipa is also chairperson of the Football Transformation Forum, a lobby group that backed Jordaan at the recent elections, while Bailey supported Zungu.

Safa’s head of communication, Mninawa Ntloko, also disclosed that Northern Cape NEC member Lebohang Riet, who’s also the chairperson of Force For Change, a lobby group that backed Zungu before the elections, had withdrawn a criminal case against Monyepao.

Two days before last month’s elections, Riet told Sowetan he had opened a case against Monyepao for distributing an election information pack with amended statutes that hadn’t been agreed on.

Riet could not be reached for comment, as he left the venue before the presser on Sunday.