By Duncan Mackay
November 1 – Irvin Khoza, one of South Africa’s most influential football administrators who was chairman of the Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is to challenge Gideon Sam for the position of President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) later this month, it has been revealed.
Sam (pictured below), a former President of Swimming South Africa and Springbok team manager, has been head of the organisation since 2008 when he replaced former SASCOC chief Moss Mashishi.
The news of his challenge comes soon after Khoza (pictured top), known in football circles as the “Iron Duke”, was nominated unopposed for another five year period as chairman of South Africa’s Premier Soccer League.
The 64-year-old multi millionaire, who is also the owner of the Orlando Pirates, one of the country’s biggest football clubs, was the chairman of South Africa’s successful bid to become the first African country to host the FIFA World Cup and continued in that role after it was awarded the 2010 tournament.
The elections to fill various positions for the next four-year cycle will be held at SASCOC’s general meeting at Olympic House in Johannesburg on November 24.
Two vice-presidents will also be elected at the meeting where nine names have been submitted for these positions, including Khoza along with South African Football Association President Kirsten Nematandani and South African Rugby Union deputy president Mark Alexander.
Other candidates include incumbent vice-presidents Hajera Kajee and Les Williams and Swimming South Africa President Jace Naidoo.
Sam took over after South Africa’s poor performance at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where the team returned with a solitary silver medal.
Four years later in London, South Africa enjoyed one of its most successful Olympic campaigns, winning six medals, three of them gold, two in swimming and one in rowing.
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