BREAKING | Danny Jordaan re-elected as Safa president after crushing over Sandile Zungu

Danny Jordaan has thrashed Sandile Zungu in the race for the Safa presidency.

Danny Jordaan has been re-elected as SAFA president by a landslide after shrugging off competition from challenger Sandile Zungu at the SAFA elective congress held at Vodacom World in Midrand on Saturday afternoon.

Jordaan received 157 votes to Zungu’s 82, cementing his position at the head of the association for a record-extending fourth consecutive term. The voting cohort comprised representatives from the regions, associate member associations, and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) as a special member.

Judging by the handful of vocal supporters who chanted and sang outside the venue before proceedings began, it would have been easy to assume that Zungu was poised to dethrone the incumbent.

Zungu entered the election as arguably the public favourite. While his campaign avoided dwelling heavily on the controversies surrounding Jordaan’s tenure since he took over the reins in 2013, it promised a revitalised future across the domestic landscape.

However, from an external perspective, the day appeared tailored to Jordaan from the outset, with the veteran administrator and his camp executing a watertight campaign.

Amid reports that the congress faced threats and potential disruptions to prevent proceedings from moving forward as planned, SAFA responded by significantly heightening security for delegates, officials, and media.

Ultimately, victory for Jordaan’s "Football Transformation Forum" (FTF) was reported as secure even before ballots were cast, with the majority of the 52 regions already committed to backing him for another term.

Furthermore, only 48 regions were present at the congress rather than the full complement of 52. This followed reports that the Harry Gwala, Amajuba (KwaZulu-Natal), Sarah Baartman (Eastern Cape), and Pixley Ka Seme (Northern Cape) regions were all disqualified following Friday night's NEC meeting.

Since those four regions were reportedly backing the “Zungu for Change” slate, their exclusion further buoyed Jordaan’s chances of retaining power.

Meanwhile, voting rights were exercised by the PSL alongside select Associate Members, while certain other entities, including Samlfa, remained excluded with their membership and voting rights placed in abeyance.