The South African Football Association (SAFA) presidential race has been reduced to a two-horse contest after the independent Governance Committee confirmed that only two nominations were received and that both candidates have been deemed eligible.
The confirmation was made on Friday following the completion of the committee’s vetting process ahead of the SAFA Elective Congress, which is scheduled for 12 September 2026.
The development provides greater clarity on the leadership battle for the country’s football governing body, although SAFA is yet to officially reveal the identities of the two eligible candidates.
Speaking when the nomination files were handed over to the Governance Committee, Mogajane said the panel had just under four weeks to complete its assessment before the elective congress.
“The SAFA Elective Congress is on 12 September 2026, and we have almost four weeks to work on these files before you. Our submission will probably be around 28 August 2026, and so we will hit the ground running in that regard.”
Mogajane also expressed the committee’s appreciation for being entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the process once again.
We really appreciate that we have been entrusted with this responsibility once more in 2026.”
The Governance Committee has now completed its assessment and confirmed that both presidential nominations received successfully passed the eligibility process.
However, the names of the two candidates have not yet been formally announced.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao previously indicated that the identities of the candidates could not be disclosed until they had been formally notified of the outcome of the vetting process.
South African football will therefore have to wait for the official announcement before the two contenders are formally confirmed.
The presidential race is expected to attract significant attention, with the incumbent seeking another term while former Orlando Pirates chairman Sandile Zungu has emerged as a prominent challenger.
With only two eligible candidates now remaining, the contest for the SAFA presidency is effectively set.
Attention will now shift to the formal announcement of the candidates and the campaigning ahead of the 12 September Elective Congress, where SAFA members will decide who will lead the association for the next term.