THE CHIEF executive of Fifa’s local organising committee yesterday accused a senior colleague of being behind a “malicious” smear campaign against him, following allegations by a local newspaper that his brother was cashing in on the World Cup.
The dispute between the organising committee’s chief executive Danny Jordaan and its chairman Irvin Khoza spilled into the public domain when the weekly Mail and Guardian newspaper questioned Mr Jordaan about his younger brother’s lucrative World Cup hospitality contract.
In the article it is claimed that Andrew Jordaan has been appointed by Fifa’s Match Event Services, the World Cup’s exclusive local provider of hospitality packages, to act as its liaison in the host city of Port Elizabeth, for which he gets paid €18,000 a month.
Andrew Jordaan was appointed to his position last April and the contract ends in August, meaning he stands to make more than €300,000 for his 17 months’ work as a go-between.
He reportedly confirmed to the Mail and Guardian that he has been appointed the liaison between Match Event Services and businesses in the hospitality trade in Port Elizabeth, but refused to comment any further.
The revelation has raised the issue of nepotism among the ranks of the tournament organisers, and is proving to be an embarrassment for Fifa.
However, when contacted by the newspaper regarding the possible conflict of interest in his brother’s appointment, Mr Jordaan claimed the publication was being used to facilitate a smear campaign against him by committee chairman Irvin Khoza.
“I know about the war he [Mr Khoza] said was coming after the World Cup. This campaign is against me and how I cannot run or handle this event. I know why so many questions are being asked about my brother. This issue has nothing to do with him.
“I have never in my 17 years in football taken any money from anyone. All I have is my name and I will not have it tarnished for malicious reasons – not after I fought so hard for this country,” Mr Jordaan told the newspaper.
Aside from being the committee’s chief executive officer Mr Jordaan also holds the same position with the South African Football Association (Safa).
Mr Khoza, who is chairman of the Soweto-based Orlando Pirates premiership team, is said to be keen to become Safa’s next chief and last year he tried, but failed, to secure the position. Mr Khoza has yet to respond to the allegations that he is behind an attempt to harm Mr Jordaan’s reputation.
Accusations of nepotism against Fifa have surfaced on a number of occasions in recent years. Last year it was revealed Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s nephew was a shareholder in Match Hospitality, the company appointed as the global provider of hospitality packages for the World Cup in South Africa.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the Ghana government paid for 1,000 of its citizens to go to the World Cup to cheer on the national team, which has become the only African nation to make it into the last 16 of the tournament.
However, the majority of these fans will return home before Ghana takes on the USA next week, as the government can no longer afford to bankroll their stay.
Elsewhere, a Japanese fan was killed early yesterday morning following his side’s dramatic win over Denmark to secure a place in the knock-out stages.
The man, who has yet to be named, was knocked down at around 2.30am by a car when trying to cross a highway.