22 July 2011
Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza has returned to the Confederation of African Football structures (CAF) almost a decade after he last served with African soccer’s governing body.
Irvin Khoza’s appointment to the organising committee for the two annual African club competitions is as a result of the growing reputation of the South African Premier Soccer League across the world.
He has previously served on the same committee, before being relieved of his duties, but CAF insiders say they have no option but to put Khoza back on the committee, which oversees the running of the annual African Champions League and African Confederation Cup.
This is ever since the PSL was put forward by FIFA over the last two years as a case study in FIFA course of how to run a successful league.
Also, PSL advisers have already been to several other African countries to help professionalise football elsewhere on the continent.
Pirates are due to play in next year’s Champions League by virtue of winning the PSL title in May.
Other South Africans appointed by CAF for a two year terms on its committees are South African Football Association president Kirsten Nemantandani, Molefi Oliphant, Danny Jordaan, Raymond Hack, Nastasia Tchislas, Shorty Moola and Mubarak Mohamed.
Oliphant is a co-opted member of the powerful executive committee, although without voting rights, on the refereeing committee and now head of women’s football, where Tchislas is also a committee member.
Nematandani and Jordaan are on the African Nations Cup organising committee while Mohamed is new to the finance committee.
Moola is on the sports medical committee while Hack stays on as chairman of the disciplinary board.