Safa president Jordaan says Mamelodi Sundowns boss Motsepe 'broke the mould'

Safa president Danny Jordaan has compared Mamelodi Sundowns owner Patrice Motsepe's election as the Caf president as being on par with South Africa's hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

At the Caf general assembly in Rabat, Morocco last Friday, Motsepe was confirmed as the eighth president of Caf, and the first person from the southern region of the continent to hold the crucial position.

Motsepe, who takes over from Madagascar's Ahmad Ahmad, ran uncontested for the presidency after Fifa chief Gianni Infantino convinced Senegal’s Augustin Senghor and Mauritania’s Ahmad Yahya to step down in return for other positions.

What sets Motsepe aside is that he has not previously worked as an official for a football federation - his focus has been on his business empire, and in overseeing Sundowns but not necessarily running the club on a daily basis.

“Up to now all seven of the previous Caf presidents had headed up their country's national federations,” Jordaan told IOL.

“Motsepe did not go that route, and he broke the mould of presidents presiding over the national controlling body.

“It will always be remembered as a special day in the annals of Safa because never before has a Caf president been chosen from its ranks,” the Safa boss continued. “This event is right up there with our Fifa World Cup hosting because we did the country proud.

“Now Safa has given African football a leader, a trailblazer in every sense of the word. His election is unique, and Safa can be proud that their nomination became the winner.”

It was Jordaan who had initially put Motsepe forward for the Caf top job, according to the same IOL report.

“The idea took people by surprise because Motsepe had never occupied positions in the structure of national football. This was usually the prerequisite when looking to nominate persons for the President of Caf,” Jordaan further elaborated.

“Once all my fellow countrymen agreed, we assembled a team to campaign in several countries in Africa,” he explained.

“At first, there were officials from several countries who have never heard of Patrice Motsepe. He was immediately written off.

“It was said he was not a President of a federation and he was not known in Caf. After some convincing and once his credentials became known, there was general approval.”