SAFA backs Tokyo Sexwale as next FIFA president

Johannesburg, Oct.27 : The South African Football Association’s National Executive Committee has backed Tokyo Sexwale to succeed Sepp Blatter as the new FIFA president.

Sexwale had earlier confirmed his intentions to run for the presidency, saying that FIFA’s reputation is severely tampered and there is an immediate need to restore it, Sport24 reported.

Following Sexwale’s decision, SAFA President Danny Jordaan said that his organisation will engage various other federations together to entitle their support to the former.

Besides, under-fire UEFA president Michel Platini, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the former Trinidad player David Nakhid and the Asian Football Confederation president, Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa would also run for the presidency post.

Blatter had to step down from the helm amidst an investigation into corruption charges after he was re-elected for a fifth term in May.

Earlier, FIFA plunged into an unprecedented crisis when Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against embattled Blatter last month over allegations that he sold World Cup TV rights to disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner for 20 times below their true value.

In addition, Platini was also questioned over the claims that he had received a ‘disloyal payment’ of two million Swiss francs from the FIFA’s embattled president in 2011.

Subsequently, Blatter and Platini were handed a 90-day suspension for criminal proceedings against them. (ANI)