World Cup hosts avoid divisive election 28/09/2009 |
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The South African Football Association (SAFA) elected a compromise candidate, Kirsten Nematandani, as its president on Saturday, avoiding a clash between two top organisers for next year's soccer World Cup.
World governing body FIFA had warned the country's soccer authorities that the vote -- which had pitted World Cup organisers Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza against each other -- should not threaten preparations for the tournament.
"Nematandani was elected unopposed following the withdrawal of other presidential candidates Dr Irvin Khoza and Dr Danny Jordaan from the race," SAFA said in a statement.
The association did not say why the two leading candidates had withdrawn. FIFA had said that should one of them win the vote that person would have had to step down from his executive position on the World Cup's organising committee.
Jordaan is CEO of the local organising committee and Khoza its chairman and both are seen as key to preparations for the first African hosting of the soccer World Cup.
FIFA repeatedly called for the election to be postponed until after the World Cup, which begins in June next year, but SAFA argued its constitution did not allow for a delay.
(Source: Reuters)
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