Jordaan wants old job back

2004-09-16 19:04

Cape Town - The man who led South Africa's successful 2010 Soccer World Cup bid, Danny Jordaan, says he wants to be reinstated as the chief executive of the South African Football Association (Safa) to help build Bafana Bafana into a world-class team.

Speaking at a Cape Town Press Club luncheon on Thursday, Jordaan said he had approached Safa to be reinstated, but had been told he should remain on the bid committee.

It is understood the committee will be disbanded in December this year.

"The position is I have a contract with Safa as the chief executive of the football association. The reality, however, is I have been busy on the 2006 World Cup bid and also the 2010 (bid) for almost the past seven years.

"Because (these were) back-to-back bids, I have been out of the football association for that period of time. When we completed the (2010) bid on May 15, I indicated that I would like to revert to my position," he said.

South Africa faced the challenge of building stadiums, among other facilities, in time for the 2010 World Cup, "but we must build a world-class team too, and to me that is an important issue", Jordaan said.

Many South Africans remembered former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar lifting the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey carrying aloft the 1996 African Cup of Nations, but did not remember the chief executive officers of those teams.

"Those are the things that remain in the memory of the people, and I feel that between now and 2007 at least... I could, perhaps, go and make a contribution there."

But, he said, Safa executives felt he should continue working to ensure South Africa hosted the best World Cup in 2010.

"Their wish is that I should remain with the bid and continue with that path up to 2010, but I think it is still a process of engagement," he said.

- SAPA