March 30 – Irvin Khoza (pictured), the chairman of the organising committee for this year’s World Cup in South Africa, has denied allegations that he is behind a plot to overthrow the President of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Kirsten Nematandani.
Khoza, who is also chairman of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Orlando Pirates, said the claims were “not only false, but malicious, and peddled by those who clearly do not care about putting the World Cup first.”
South African newspaper The Sunday Times reported earlier this week that Khoza had lobbied Government officials and club representatives to initiate a vote of no confidence in Nematandani.
The newspaper also suggested that SAFA has tried to remove Khoza from the chairmanship of the World Cup local organising committee.
Khoza and organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan dropped out of the race for the SAFA leadership last September leaving Nematandani to be elected unopposed.
Khoza described this week’s events as cancer that could damage the mood of the country ahead of the World Cup.
“I will not participate in any debate that will encourage disunity in the football of this country, or in the organising of the World Cup, which I think is a national agenda,” Khoza said.
“Since the SAFA elections on 26 September 2009 I have not directly nor indirectly addressed the election issue in any media utterance nor forum as I knew that such an action would be divisive and detract from our preparation to host the World Cup,
“I know that the World Cup is more than me and not about me.”
Khoza accused The Sunday Times of making deliberate mention of the ruling African National Congress party and the Government “to infer Government interference in football affairs so as to evoke tension with FIFA.”
South African President Jacob Zuma has instructed football officials to work together ahead of this year’s World Cup.
Khoza also denied that he would try to take over the SAFA after the World Cup has finished in July.
“Even after the World Cup, I’ll be focussing on the mighty Orlando Pirates,” he said.
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