THE bitter race for South African football's top job will reach its climax on Saturday, and presidential candidate Danny Jordaan is adamant that the regions that asked him to run last month will see him over the finish line.

Jordaan was nominated by 32 of the 52 regions of the South African Football Association (Safa) last month and he told Sunday World yesterday that he was confident that nothing would change the minds of his backers at the elective congress at Helderfontein Estate, Fourways.

''The nomination process itself was a process, with discussions of almost a year," Jordaan said.

''So people did not take a decision as individuals. Those are organisational decisions, taken in the regions, taken within the province, and those decisions have not changed. It is very clear that those regions are sending their delegates and so, no, nothing will change (at the poll)."

But Jordaan's rival for the Safa presidential seat - Mandla ''Shoes" Mazibuko - was unfazed and said many minds had changed since the nomination process after weeks of campaigning.

''The numbers are numbers that people in any competition and election can talk about," Mazibuko said.

''I am not interested to enter that debate and that space. It is neither here nor there. A lot has changed, our starting line-up has changed, the complexion of the match has changed and the outcome of the match will be determined when the final whistle is blown, which is (Saturday).

"So I am not going to enter the numbers debate because it is going to be untidy."

Jordaan and Mazibuko are the last men standing after Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza - who was nominated - decided against running because of the clause in Safa's constitution that precludes anyone from holding the president's position while having an interest in a club.

Jordaan was cast in the role of favourite after Khoza's withdrawal, but Mazibuko told Sunday World that he would not have bothered to go up against Jordaan if he did not think that he could beat him at the poll on Saturday.

Mazibuko said the voters should remember that he was president of the South African Schools Football Association for years and his experience at grassroots level would be crucial.

''Me and Danny are not talking different things because we do not come from different planets, we come from the same (Safa) executive. We know what must be done (to rescue Safa). The difference is, has he walked this road? No. He walked the office but I walked the road, I am still walking this road."

According to the final nomination list sent out to the regions this week, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana's name appears on both presidential candidates' lists and he is guaranteed to be vice-president, regardless who wins on Saturday.