Ace Ncobo withdraws from Safa presidential election race

Although he was seen as a perfect candidate to challenge the South African Football Association president Dr Danny Jordaan at the Safa presidential election, former Safa referee Andile Ncobo has withdrawn from the race.

The former Fifa referee’s withdrawal was announced on Thursday following a meeting between Jordaan and Ncobo on Thursday morning.

In the wake of the midnight meeting, the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) president, Philip Chiyangwa was called by Fifa to broker an agreement between the two parties contesting the upcoming Safa presidential elections.

Subsequent to that decision to call for Chiyangwa’s intervention, Safa called an urgent press conference which was held at Intercontinental Sandton Towers on Thursday morning at 10:00.

Moreover, the Cosafa and Zifa boss was given a mandate by the Switzerland-based football body to seek clarity on the situation around the SAFA presidential elections.

The outspoken Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president announced that Safa will elect an electoral committee ahead of the March 24 presidential election.

“SAFA will elect an electoral committee before the elections can take place,” Chiyangwa said in Johannesburg on Thursday.

“Danny Jordaan and Ace Ncobo are both celebrated in SA football. I had a meeting with SAFA and it has led to this scenario. There is an agreement that has been signed by both parties,” he continued.

“It brings closure to the dispute that had arisen. This was the first time I met Ace. He is a good guy who made it clear he is not interested in the presidency,” added the Zifa boss.

“I don’t want there to be fighting in any associations. My job here was to resolve any fights, that’s my mandate,” said the Cosafa president.

“It brings closure to the dispute that had arisen. This was the first time I met Ace. He is a good guy who made it clear he is not interested in the presidency," he concluded.

Meanwhile, the congress is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on March 24 so the formation of the committee will have to be done in the next coming days.

It was also announced that Ncobo has since decided to step down from his candidacy, allowing Jordaan to stand unopposed.