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JOHANNESBURG. — Tokyo Sexwale, a South African anti-apartheid campaigner jailed alongside Nelson Mandela, hopes to beat the odds and become the first African to be president of world football body FIFA. The 62-year-old, who is better known as a politician and one of his country’s richest men rather than as a football administrator, confirmed his candidacy on Saturday.
Other official candidates ahead of the deadline today for the February 26 election are European football chief Michel Platini, Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan, former Trinidad and Tobago captain David Nahkid and former FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne.
The South African Football Association (SAFA)’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Saturday unanimously endorsed Sexwale as their candidate for the FIFA presidency. The decision to endorse Sexwale was taken at a Johannesburg hotel after the former Robben Island political prisoner had made a presentation to the SAFA NEC.
Elections to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president are scheduled to take place on February 26 next year. “It was a unanimous decision and we will now move to engage CAF on our decision and see how we can co-ordinate our decisions going forward,” said SAFA president Danny Jordaan.
“We will also engage various other federations together with Mr Sexwale to enlist their support because his victory will usher in a new era not only for the continent but the entire world.” Sexwale has no current active role in domestic football, but was part of South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup bidding team and the committee that organised the event.
After the 2010 World Cup, he was appointed to FIFA’s anti-racism and anti-discrimination committee. — AFP.
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