ELECTIONS are won and lost way before the delegates can cast their ballots.
The Caf presidential candidates need to canvass for votes before they board a plane to Morocco where the elections will be held on 12 March, Safa vice-president Irvin Khoza said as he explained the election mechanisms.
Khoza is part of the Safa team behind Patrice Motsepe’s election campaign for the Caf presidency.
“If you haven’t done your work here, there is no point in going to Morocco,” Khoza brilliantly and succinctly said.
“People make up their minds before they go there. By the time you go there, you are going to the party.
“This manifesto (Motsepe) is historic. It’s a game-changer. And we are part of it. I’m part of discussions in the Safa executive committee. Dr Jordaan (Danny) is the one in charge of the campaign.”
Motsepe is one of the four candidates, namely; Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast‚ Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Augustin Senghor of Senegal, who will be vying for the highest position in Caf at the congress in Rabat.
There are no clear favourites in the race, but Cosafa president Phillip Chiyangwa is confident Motsepe would win by upwards of 36 votes.
Motsepe had been mum on his presidential aspirations until he broke his silence with the launch of his manifesto on Thursday.
Khoza further explained it was prudent for work to be done behind the scenes.
“It’s a question of style that one prefers. I always say to people it is nice to do things in silence and let the results be your noise,” Khoza added.
“If you make too much noise and you don’t get results, it doesn’t help.
“We’ve been there before, for the first World Cup bid and the second one. We know what it takes to win campaigns.
“The less said and publicised, the better. What’s important is to get the job done.
“So the job is being done. So far the job is going very well. I’m part of the decisions on the campaign.”
