South African football administrator Sue Destombes has been appointed to a prestigious position on the new FIFA committee but other top local personalities were snubbed in the first selection made by Gianni Infantino since taking over the running of world football’s governing body almost one year ago.

Destombes is on the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions‚ which now replaces separate committees for each competition and will oversee the organisation of all tournaments.

It is arguably the most important of the nine new-look committees put together by the FIFA president.

Raymond Hack‚ as the Sunday Time revealed exclusively at the weekend‚ gets the prestigious post at the head of the Players’ Status Committee and is joined by Johan van Gaalen‚ a Johannesburg based attorney who is an expert in sports and entertainment issues.

The Players’ Status Committee set ups and monitors compliance with transfer and contract regulations and determines the status of players for various FIFA competitions.

Navi Pillay‚ who served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014‚ has been appointed to the Governance Committee‚ which deals with and advises the FIFA Council on governance matters.

She is originally from Durban.

Her appointment comes likely at the recommendation of FIFA’s new general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal‚ who used to also work at the United Nations.

Pillay has no previous football connections.

No longer serving on FIFA committees are Danny Jordaan‚ Irvin Khoza and Tokyo Sexwale among others.

Infantino’s new broom has seen the number of FIFA committees cut from 26 to nine.

His predecessor Sepp Blatter used the committees as grace and favour positions as he sought powerful allies but Infantino looks to have shunned the football politicians in favour of administrators and experts.

Noticeably‚ Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou has been removed from all committees except chairing the Member Association’s committee where‚ pointedly‚ his new rival for the CAF presidency‚ Ahmad of Madagascar is also given a place.

It is increasingly clear that Infantino wants Hayatou out but the 70-year CAF boss is seeking another four term when CAF have their Congress in Addis Ababa in March. — TMG Digital