Source: @SAFA
The South African Football Association‘s elective congress is now less than two weeks away, with the presidential race confirmed as a contest between incumbent Danny Jordaan and AmaZulu chairman Sandile Zungu. The vote is scheduled for 12 September 2026, although a fresh court application has introduced another layer of uncertainty around whether the congress will proceed as planned.
The SAFA elections have become increasingly focused on governance, regional voting structures and the credibility of the electoral process. Those issues matter because the national vote is determined through SAFA’s membership structures, meaning disputes at regional level can have consequences when delegates gather for the national congress.
The latest development came on 1 September, when the African Restoration Bank launched an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court seeking to prevent SAFA from holding or implementing the 12 September election until wider questions about its electoral and governance processes have been dealt with. The application asks for records relating to SAFA’s constitution, amendments, electoral regulations, nominations, voting timetable and administration of the election. The allegations contained in the application have not been established by a court.
SAFA has maintained that the congress will proceed. The association has also rejected what it describes as attempts to undermine or derail the electoral process.
Jordaan versus Zungu as regional disputes intensify
The presidential contest itself was settled by the independent SAFA Governance Committee last week. After a 20-day vetting process, the committee confirmed that both Jordaan and Zungu met the requirements to stand. No other presidential candidate was cleared, leaving a two-person race for the country’s football presidency.
Jordaan has held the presidency since 2013 and is seeking a fourth term. His tenure has included the association’s post-2010 World Cup era, while his current campaign is taking place against a backdrop of internal disputes and a pending criminal case.
Jordaan and his co-accused face fraud and theft charges linked to allegations concerning the use of SAFA funds. The case was postponed again in August, with 27 November set as a possible date for proceedings to begin, subject to the outcome of a High Court application concerning alleged delays in the matter. The allegations remain before the courts and do not amount to a finding of guilt.
Zungu enters the contest after previously facing scrutiny over his eligibility. The Governance Committee’s ruling removes that issue from the immediate electoral contest and leaves him as Jordaan’s sole challenger.
The battle will extend beyond the presidency. Candidates have also been approved for national executive and provincial positions, with figures such as Bennett Bailey and Linda Zwane among those on the national list. Bailey has publicly backed Zungu and has called for the elections to be postponed, arguing that unresolved regional disputes make the current process unsuitable.
The voting structure gives the regional contests considerable relevance. SAFA has 52 regions, with three delegates expected from each region at the national congress. The Premier Soccer League participates as a Special Member, alongside Associate Members.
Several regional elections have faced disputes or unresolved issues. SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao acknowledged that problems remained in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, while other regions have also been subject to challenges and complaints.
Those disputes became a parliamentary issue last month when Bailey appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture. He raised allegations concerning the conduct of regional elections, including a disputed process in the Sarah Baartman region. Bailey said he had raised concerns with FIFA and SASCOC. His claims remain allegations and require assessment against the relevant records and electoral rules.
The political battle inside SAFA also comes at a demanding moment for the association. Questions have recently surrounded the appointment of Bafana Bafana’s head coach, the rollout of VAR and the management of funds linked to South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup participation. SAFA has announced that over R100 million from World Cup earnings will go towards football development.
The congress therefore represents a decision about who will lead SAFA, but the immediate test extends to whether the election process itself can withstand the disputes now surrounding it.
The new High Court application could become the next major development before delegates gather. If the court declines to intervene, the presidential contest between Jordaan and Zungu remains scheduled for 12 September. If intervention is granted, the electoral timetable could face a major disruption.
For South African football, the outcome will be closely linked to the credibility of the process that produces it. The SAFA elections are now approaching a point where the courts, regional structures and presidential candidates are all becoming part of the same contest.
