Amid rape allegation, Jordaan re-elected SAfrica soccer boss
JOHANNESBURG (AP) Danny Jordaan, the chief organizer of the 2010 World Cup, was re-elected as president of the South African Football Association for a second term despite allegations made by a singer that he raped her 25 years ago.
Jordaan won the vote late Saturday with over 95 percent of the votes, SAFA said, and earned another five-year term. Former referee Ace Ncobo, who was to be Jordaan's only challenger, withdrew.
Jordaan's reputation has been seriously diminished since presiding over a successful first World Cup in Africa as head of South Africa's organizing committee.
First, he was implicated in an alleged $10 million bribe South Africa was accused of paying to FIFA executives to get them to vote for the country's bid. That allegation was contained in the U.S. Department of Justice's sprawling investigation into corruption at FIFA in 2015.
Last year, South African singer Jennifer Ferguson alleged Jordaan raped her at a hotel in his home town of Port Elizabeth in 1993. Ferguson, a former political activist and South African member of parliament, formally opened a case against Jordaan with police this year.
Jordaan has denied both the bribery and the rape accusations.
The election for SAFA president was delayed from March after Ncobo claimed there were irregularities in the process. New election overseers were appointed by SAFA. Jordaan said FIFA observers attended Saturday's vote.
In an address to the SAFA congress, Jordaan said South Africa would now consider bidding to host the women's World Cup and FIFA's Club World Cup.
