March 17 – On the day Ahmad Ahmad became African football’s new leader, a raft of his supporters won places on the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee, notably South Africa’s Danny Jordaan, the public face of the 2010 World Cup.
Earlier this month Jordaan pulled out of the race to gain a place on FIFA’s ruling Council intriguingly just hours before FIFA published results of integrity checks into all the candidates, suggesting he knew what was coming. By the time FIFA announced that 10 candidates had passed the checks Jordaan had already sent in his letter of withdrawal.
The move increased speculation that Jordaan was being investigated as part of the US-led probe into corruption that has so far led to more than 40 individuals and entities being indicted on bribery and fraud charges. As yet unresolved is the $10 million payment made by the South African FA that ended up in the hands of notorious former FIFA powerbroker and CONCACAF boss Jack Warner, a sum FIFA says was a bribe but which South African authorities have always countered was completely above board.
But Jordaan was quick to rubbish the story saying his decision was purely tactical and in the CAF elections yesterday managed to poll 35 votes to come top of his category and secure his place in the ExCo after years of trying to gain a seat.
Sierra Leone’s Isha Johansen, Africa’s only female federation chief, also gained a place on the exco as she easily defeated Lydia Nsekera of Burundi. Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick won a place too, the third Nigerian to do so and the first since the inglorious exit of Amos Adamu.
Nsekera had bigger fish to fry as she clinched one of the available CAF places to the ruling FIFA Council, elected along with Ghana’s Kwesi Nyantakyi, Tarek Bouchamoui of Tunisia, Omari Constant Selemani of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Almamy Kabele Camara of Guinea.
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