Danny Jordaan
Encyclopedia
Daniel Alexander "Danny" Jordaan (born September 3, 1951) is a South Africa
n sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup
bid, the first successful one for Africa. He also led their unsuccessful bid four years earlier for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. He was also the Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
He has served FIFA in numerous capacities, including, as a General Co-ordinator for the Youth World Cup (now FIFA U-20 World Cup), 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan. He was also a match commissioner for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and a member of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee. He served on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Organising Committee.
As well as his involvement in football, Jordaan is also a member of the International Marketing Council.
(SASO) in the early 1970s, an organisation founded by Steve Biko
in order to defend the rights of black students. Later, Jordaan also became a member of the United Democratic Front
and the African National Congress
(ANC).
Following his studies, Jordaan became a teacher in 1974. From 1970 to 1983 he was a provincial cricket
and football
player. In the latter sport, he achieved professional status for a brief period. His political and sport interests soon combined and he became an activist in various organizations fighting to break down racial barriers in sport.
From 1983 to 1992 he served as the president or vice-president of various soccer boards. In 1993 he was appointed as a director of the Cape Town
Olympic
Bid Company.
His political career also progressed; in 1990 he was elected as the chairperson of the ANC
branch in Port Elizabeth North. After the first fully inclusive South African elections in 1994, he became a member of parliament for the ANC under the newly elected Nelson Mandela
, a position he held until 1997.
In 1997, he was elected as the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Football Association
(SAFA). He subsequently headed South Africa's unsuccessful 2006 FIFA World Cup
bid, narrowly losing out to Germany but gaining great respect internationally for his work. As a consequence, he also led South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, this time successfully.
Jordaan has served on the marketing and television board of FIFA
since 1998.
and an Honours degree from the University of South Africa
. He received three honorary Doctorates from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
(D.Phil), the University of South Africa (D. Admin), and one from his alma mater, the University of the Western Cape (D. Phil).
Nelson Mandela
in 1994 as well as the presidential sport achievement award from President Thabo Mbeki
in 2001. He won South Africa’s marketing person of the year award in 2000. In 2004, he was voted 44th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
and newsmaker of the year. He received a mayoral award from the Mayor of Los Angeles, California on 24 October 2004. Jordaan has been given the freedom of the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela. He has also received numerous awards from other South African cities.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
bid, the first successful one for Africa. He also led their unsuccessful bid four years earlier for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. He was also the Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
He has served FIFA in numerous capacities, including, as a General Co-ordinator for the Youth World Cup (now FIFA U-20 World Cup), 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan. He was also a match commissioner for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and a member of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee. He served on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Organising Committee.
As well as his involvement in football, Jordaan is also a member of the International Marketing Council.
Career
Danny Jordaan was born in Port Elizabeth, a city on the southeast coast of South Africa to Maxine and Alexandre Jordaan. He became involved in anti-apartheid activities by joining the South African Students' OrganisationSouth African Students' Organisation
The South African Students' Organisation was a body of South African students who resisted apartheid through political action. The organization was formed in 1968, spearheaded by Steve Biko, and played a major role in the Black Consciousness Movement....
(SASO) in the early 1970s, an organisation founded by Steve Biko
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
in order to defend the rights of black students. Later, Jordaan also became a member of the United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (South Africa)
The United Democratic Front was one of the most important anti-apartheid organisations of the 1980s. The non-racial coalition of about 400 civic, church, students', workers' and other organisations was formed in 1983, initially to fight the just-introduced idea of the Tricameral Parliament The...
and the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC).
Following his studies, Jordaan became a teacher in 1974. From 1970 to 1983 he was a provincial cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. In the latter sport, he achieved professional status for a brief period. His political and sport interests soon combined and he became an activist in various organizations fighting to break down racial barriers in sport.
From 1983 to 1992 he served as the president or vice-president of various soccer boards. In 1993 he was appointed as a director of the Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Bid Company.
His political career also progressed; in 1990 he was elected as the chairperson of the ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
branch in Port Elizabeth North. After the first fully inclusive South African elections in 1994, he became a member of parliament for the ANC under the newly elected Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, a position he held until 1997.
In 1997, he was elected as the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Football Association
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
(SAFA). He subsequently headed South Africa's unsuccessful 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
bid, narrowly losing out to Germany but gaining great respect internationally for his work. As a consequence, he also led South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, this time successfully.
Jordaan has served on the marketing and television board of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
since 1998.
Education
Jordaan has a BA degree from the University of the Western CapeUniversity of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape is a public university located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only...
and an Honours degree from the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
. He received three honorary Doctorates from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is a South African tertiary education institution with its main administration in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. The merger creating the NMMU was realized in January 2005 but its history dates back to 1882 with the foundation of Port Elizabeth Art School...
(D.Phil), the University of South Africa (D. Admin), and one from his alma mater, the University of the Western Cape (D. Phil).
Awards
He received a special presidential award from PresidentPresident of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
in 1994 as well as the presidential sport achievement award from President Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
in 2001. He won South Africa’s marketing person of the year award in 2000. In 2004, he was voted 44th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
SABC3's Great South Africans
Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. In September 2004, thousands of South Africans took part in an informal nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest South Africans" of all time...
and newsmaker of the year. He received a mayoral award from the Mayor of Los Angeles, California on 24 October 2004. Jordaan has been given the freedom of the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela. He has also received numerous awards from other South African cities.