Danny Jordaan supported FIFA President Gianni Infantino's initiative regarding the expansion of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) program, advocating for the principle of attracting private investment into football enterprises. Jordaan was re-elected for a fourth term as president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) at the electoral congress in Midrand on Sunday, defeating President AmaZulu Sandile Zungu with a vote count of 157 to 82.
This success places Jordaan among African football leaders who publicly supported Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential elections, which will take place in Morocco next year. Infantino's FFE proposal faces criticism because it aims to attract private capital into businesses related to football.
Despite supporting Infantino's approach, Jordaan noted that FIFA members should have been consulted more broadly. He stated: 'We support Gianni Infantino, and I will tell you why. The issue concerns private investment in the football business.'
Criticism of the Consultation Process
Jordaan commented that many teams in England are fully owned by corporate structures and managed by private capital, and La Liga in Spain is also partially owned by a private investment company. Furthermore, he mentioned that PSG belongs to the country—Qatar. However, he expressed disagreement with the insufficient consultation with FIFA members.
Jordaan, who first became SAFA president in 2013 after Kirstein Nematandani, reported that Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe were among the first to contact him after his re-election. The 74-year-old leader also rejected criticism that regional SAFA structures failed to contribute to football development, especially after Bafana Bafana's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Another important issue discussed during the elections was Jordaan's decision to run for another term after announcing in 2022 that his third term would be his last. Jordaan argued that his continued leadership is determined by the SAFA regions, not by him personally. He emphasized that he does not appoint himself to SAFA, as it is a democratic organization, and a vote of no confidence could be passed against him tomorrow.
He added that a new leader should not be allowed to come in and start from scratch regarding South Africa's positioning in the global context. Jordaan also revealed that SAFA will cooperate with FIFA within the Vision 2030 program as the association begins a new four-year cycle. 'We are holding a seminar with FIFA to work on Vision 2030,' he announced.