The South African Football Association president should have stepped aside while he clears his name in court to avoid becoming a liability.

It's been a full year since South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan was arrested on charges of fraud. He was taken into custody on 13 November 2024, alongside Safa chief of finance Gronie Hluyo and journalist-turned-businessperson Trevor Neethling. They are all out on bail.

It is alleged that Jordaan hired Neethling and his company, Grit Communications, to polish his public image after a rape accusation in 2017. This was also ahead of the 2018 Safa elections. The recent accusation is that Jordaan illegally used Safa funds for his own benefit, flouting its protocols.

Of course, Jordaan has vehemently denied these claims and maintained his innocence. He has insisted that his biggest critics are former members of Safa who are bitter about being removed from their positions and now want to topple him from the outside.

This is something he repeated when Safa appeared before Parliament in June, saying there is a smear campaign directed at the soccer federation and he is the scapegoat. "The campaign [against me] is intended to drive away the sponsors," Jordaan said. "It only happens to football. It won't happen to rugby and cricket.

"This is a political and vicious campaign, but we will...