Journal News Network (JNN) has it on good authority that Danny Jordaan is projected to secure his fourth term as South African Football Association (SAFA) President through a landslide victory at the football body’s upcoming elective congress on 12 September 2026.
According to a high ranked source in the organisation, Jordaan has the backing of 36 of the 52 SAFA regions, while challenger, Sandile Zungu, commands support from just a mere 12 regions.
The decision to back Jordaan is said to be a calculated compromise to block external infiltration, with prominent figures within the football governing body viewing Zungu as a conduit for outside forces attempting to seize control of the organisation.
Having mulled his resignation for some time leading to the looming conference, the insider also revealed how Jordaan had intended to resign prior to the looming elective conference but was convinced otherwise by powerful SAFA stalwarts who refuse to surrender control to ‘outsiders’ - thus preferring structural continuity under the current regime.
“We couldn’t allow him to leave before the conference, because they are trying to get into SAFA and start their own things. We can’t allow that,” the source said.
The source further told this newspaper that Jordaan is standing for re-election merely to bar Zungu from taking over and will subsequently resign to make way for Linda Zwane - who is one of the four incumbent SAFA vice presidents - to ascend the presidential hotseat.
Zwane does indeed stand as the most logical internal successor due to his dual power base within local structures. He serves as president of the Mpumalanga Sport Confederation, board member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and leads the Football Transformation Forum (FTF).
Zwane’s deep ties across the 52 regional voting blocs therefore give him vast influence across various relevant local sports bodies. He also holds continental administrative authority through his executive roles on the boards of SASCOC and COSAFA.
Unlike other four SAFA vice presidents, Zwane faces no political or constitutional roadblocks in his path to the top seat.
For instance, Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, is legally barred from the role unless he completely divests from professional club ownership.
SAFA Cape Town boss, Bennett Bailey, has isolated himself from the ruling faction after breaking ranks to publicly back Zungu’s campaign, while veteran football administrator, Natasha Tsichlas, has always kept her focus on specific administrative portfolios rather than command of the regional voter mobilisation machinery.
Zwane, in contrast to the potentials, is well entrenched within the broader South African sports fraternity and commands the grassroots machinery required to wield exceptional influence.
Having consistently linked national footballing milestones directly to Jordaan’s continued tenure at the helm, Zwane’s unwavering loyalty to Jordaan has functioned as a beneficial political insurance policy.
The elective outcome relies on 265 total votes cast by secret ballot during the national congress. The 52 regional bodies command the vast majority of voting power - holding 208 total votes combined.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) holds 41 individual votes, while associate members and the league cast the rest. Before undergoing strict governance vetting, the candidates must secure a formal regional nomination and a secondment, while the regions must maintain constitutional good standing regarding finances and deadlines to exercise their voting rights.
SAFA handed all candidate nominations to Governance Committee chairman, Victor Mogajane, on 5 August 2026 ahead of the upcoming vote.
By securing Jordaan’s re-election first, the ruling bloc guarantees that the loyalist machinery will seamlessly catapult Zwane to the helm.
SAFA has confirmed through a statement that key stakeholders including FIFA, CAF, SASCOC, and Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, have all been formally invited to the elective congress.
