Ace Ncobo guns for Safa president Jordaan

Ace Ncobo says he has no desire to be president of the South African Football Association (Safa), but the former referee has blasted current incumbent Danny Jordaan, who he believes should leave the post with immediate effect.

The former referee has been nominated for the presidency, along with Jordaan, with elections set for a Safa congress on March 24. Ncobo, however, believes these elections are unconstitutional, and has written to world footballing body Fifa as part of a bid to stop them from happening.

Ncobo gave an explosive press conference yesterday at FNB Stadium where he explained the elections go against the association’s own statutes, as well as Fifa’s, and lashed out at Jordaan and Safa CEO Dennis Mumble.

“The biggest problem we have is a president, assisted by a CEO, who have an obligation to protect the Safa statutes, but who are showing the middle finger to the same statutes from whose authority they derive their existence,” said Ncobo.

“I do not want to be president of Safa. There are better people that can take the position, but Danny Jordaan does not deserve to sit in that position. He must just go home.”

In a long statement, Ncobo highlighted several ways in which Safa have not followed proper procedure in organising this election. He has already achieved a small victory in that the Independent Electoral Commission, appointed by Safa to oversee the elections, have suddenly pulled out, with Safa threatening legal action.

Ncobo’s argument is that as the IEC are employed by the South African government, they cannot oversee a Safa election.

“The people who work for the IEC draw their salaries from the state,” he said.

“If the IEC has pulled out of the 2018 congress, what is the status of the 2013 congress? The very same IEC ran the 2013 congress. We have written to the head of legal at Fifa for guidance.”
Ncobo has also called on Fifa to place Safa under administration, according to sections G1, G2 and G3 of Fifa’s rules on electoral code.

“Fifa has the right to intervene in the electoral processes of the association at any time to monitor its integrity … Fifa may likewise suspend or invalidate the electoral process and/or appoint a provincial administration for the association,” reads part of sections G2 and G3.

“We believe there is just and valid cause for Fifa to immediately apply the provisions of section G,” adds Ncobo.

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