In Rabat

While it has been three weeks since Safa president Danny Jordaan retained power by comprehensively winning the association's presidential race, it's anyone's guess who will be his deputy. Anastasia Tsichlas and Emma Hendriks have been tipped for the role.

In March, two months before the polls, Safa made an amendment to its constitution providing for the first vice-president to now be appointed by the incumbent president, unlike before where the organisation's structures voted for the official.

Since last month's elections, Tsichlas and Hendricks have been touted as the two favourites to land the position of deputy president at Safa House.

However, speaking to Sowetan in Morocco after gracing Banyana Banyana's training session on Sunday, ahead of last night's Wafcon semifinal against regional rivals Zambia, Jordaan emphasised that he had not made up his mind as to who he'll appoint as his second in command. The Safa president, who has been in office since 2013, said he was in no rush to finalise the process.

“Who tipped Tsichlas and Hendricks? I will take the decision at the meeting of the national executive committee sometime in the coming weeks. There's no rush at all. Now we're very busy. When I get back to SA, I will look at it but there are a number of issues we'll look at first before deciding on the issue of deputy,”  said Jordaan.

The Safa supremo made the point that drafting plans to make sure Bafana Bafana qualify for the 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, was his immediate focus before stressing about appointing a deputy.

“That World Cup will have 48 teams and will have nine African teams. The question we have to ask is how are we going to make sure we're one of those nine African countries there. We've to start preparing and building now.”

* Ndebele is in Morocco courtesy of Sasol, Banyana sponsor