THE SAFA PRESIDENCY: With Danny and Irvin going head-to-head, is Kirsten the only peaceful option?

The big three: Khoza, Jordaan and Nematandani

KIRSTEN NEMATANDANI is not your typical national football president. Through the alleged match-fixing, the alleged near-bankruptcy, the alleged bribery of regional representatives, the alleged fleet of Mercedes, the 55-year-old has kept his head above water as the leader of the South African Football Association.

Appointed as a "compromise candidate" when Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan went head to head at the end of 2009, Kirsten has not had it easy.

With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa looming, Khoza was ruled out of the top job because of his club affiliation. Jordaan was asked not to stand as he was running the World Cup local organising committee. The meeting which elevated Nematandani to the SAFA presidency involved judges, arguments and slanging matches.

From that day until this, Nematandani has been the scapegoat for many of South African football's shortcomings. He was the man suspended when FIFA's pre-World Cup match-fixing report dropped, he had to accept his resinstatement in the SAFA House car park, he was the man accused of cocking-up when sponsors left, when money ran short.

But under his reign South Africa has successfully hosted a World Cup AND an African Cup of Nations. Under his reign, Irvin "Four Jobs" Khoza's thirst for power has been frightening to watch while Jordaan probes carefully from his position as a SAFA vice-president with strong links at FIFA and CAF and that R500m FIFA Legacy fund cash burning a hole in his pocket.

Danny has told me he will "definitely" stand for SAFA President on September 28. Khoza is leaving it to his allies to change the constitution to allow his candidacy which will see the head of the PSL, NSL and Orlando Pirates grab another hugely powerful position.

Tonight, from a source I can't reveal, I'm told Kaizer Motaung will take over from Khoza as PSL chairman if the Iron Duke gets the SAFA job. But with the added information: "Kaizer will just be a "ghost" chairman, Khoza will really run the PSL and SAFA."

And between these two men stands Nematandani. Kirsten was born in Makhado near Louis Trichardt in 1958. He speaks five languages and has a footballing background, coaching Chibuku Young Stars in 1986-88 before moving in to administration.

Neither Khoza nor Jordaan can boast that. Administration rather than football was their goal. I have in my possession documents suggesting all kinds of things surrounding the dispute between the two heavyweights. Publicly, Khoza and Jordaan proclaim to be best mates, both support Orlando Pirates, both politically connected to the very top in this football-loving nation.

And then there's Kirsten. Nice bloke, articulate, desperately trying to keep the ship sailing comfortably amid the machinations with the still unannounced Presidential inquiry into match-fixing lurking in the background.

Checking the facts: lunch with Danny Jordaan

I spoke to Kirsten off the record tonight. I've spoken to Jordaan in depth about the state of affairs at SAFA.

What I can say is Kirsten remains keen to be the filling in the sandwich, the arbitrator between club owning millionaire Khoza and long-time ANC sports politician Jordaan.

Nematandani told me tonight: "It's not been easy Neal, but somebody needs to get these two factions to work together. We don't want one becoming President and the other left out. That has been my job for nearly four years. I've tried to do that to the best of my ability."

It's an unenviable task. Khoza has created a PSL which is largely successful but often chaotic. His ownership of one of South Africa's largest club's calls his position in to question constantly. Jordaan will put country ahead of club at last, and he will focus on development rather than short-term goals.

But Nematandani claims he can keep the pair from going to war, his presidential mandate from the start. Perhaps this strange compromise is the way forward, the only peaceful solution.

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SHAKE IT UP GORDON! Kungwane calls for change after Bafana's Nigeria nightmare

Shocking: Shakes Kungwane

SHAKES KUNGWANE described South Africa’s abject 2-0 defeat against Nigeria on Wednesday night as “sad, shocking and embarrassing”.

And the widely-respected Kungwane believes Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund is running out of time if he doesn’t make wholesale changes to his experienced squad  - something he will be forced to do at the Nelson Mandela Sports Day on Saturday.

Igesund will take on Burkina Faso without his foreign-based internationals today - Tokelo Rantie and Dean Furman have flown back to Europe to play for their clubs this weekend. But Kungwane remains concerned about Bafana as they prepare for a double-header at Soccer City which also features the nation's rugby Springboks playing Argentina's Pumas.

The former Kaizer Chiefs star with the cultured left foot carries huge weight as an analyst in South Africa and he too believes it is time for a fresh start.

Khungwane told me on my football show BOLLOCKZ on Thursday: “It just sums it up, comparing England with South Africa. England stick with Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney. We still hang on to Tshabalala, YeYe, Parker.

“Does the coach have a mandate or is he just hanging on for his CV? We played against the No1 side in Africa and we had withdrawals but in our last World Cup qualifier against Botswana we have to do something.

“Igesund has failed on his mandate to qualify for Brazil. What happens when the new SAFA president comes in and says: “What happened to your mandate to reach the last four when we hosted AFCON earlier this year?”

“We are moving one step forward, ten steps back. When Gordon took over, we had hope. But now that hope is gone. We need to start afresh.

“Let’s forget about players who have 50 or 60 caps. Look at the team that went to COSAFA? Only two or three of them were there at the Moses Mabhida.

“We’re not going to qualify for the World Cup, let’s be honest. We still hanging on to memories of winning the African Cup of Nations in 1996 like England hang on to 1966.

“At the moment we’ve got an assistant coach who used to be a technical director for SAFA for donkey’s years. Now he is Gordon’s No2. Are there not any better people to go around and look for 19, 20 year olds who can play for Bafana?

“Instead we have Shabba. Again. Come on guys. Gordon believes in experienced players unfortunately. But we have players in Holland, Belgium, Sweden and England, George Maluleka at Chiefs… we must start fresh, everything new. And move on.

“I’ve been coached by Gordon. It’s such a good excuse for him to have players withdraw. Then he can say he doesn’t have better players.

“You get a player like Nomandela… he touched the ball two or three times. We’re living on false hopes.

“Come on Nealy, we went to England, Holland, Brazil, we went all over for help. Why can’t we have our own models, one South Africans love and want to see.

“There’s a lot of talent in the country, unfortunately it’s all about winning, about rankings. We need fresh ideas, not people who only worry about getting their salary every month.

“We couldn’t even score goals. Let’s not  beat about the bush and say we’re improving. Ten out of ten? We’re on about three.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place, but we need the courage to start afresh. We need to say listen: You did your best guys. We’re starting again.

“Are we still learning with Shabba, KG, YeYe? Shocking performance from Dean Furman, I think he’s over-rated too.

“Honestly speaking, the only way to sort this out is to wait for the new SAFA president to take office. He will want to impress. He must decide whether to keep Gordon.

“For me, we start afresh, we have nothing to lose. Most African nations hate us, we have everything going for us. Everybody wants to beat us. We must have our own model, our own way of doing things.

“We can’t play like the Spanish. We can’t play like the Germans. We must play OUR way.

“Beat Burkina Faso? Trash Botswana? Come on!”

Trenchant critique from Shakes was followed by equally strong words from Nigeria-based BBC World Service football correspondent Oluwashina Okeleji, who was equally scathing about Igesund’s Bafana.

Okeleji questioned whether South Africa’s head coach is enjoying his job – and also suggested a “clear-out” of established interationals, saying: “Nigeria’s worst side can beat Bafana’s best, yet you have the best-run domestic league on the continent.”

You can listen to both interviews on BOLLOCKZ! below…


With the English Premier League season kicking off tomorrow, preview of my beloved Arsenal's chances HERE: http://www.thepundits.co.za/1314-season-preview-arsenal/

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal & Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za. 

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!