Safa appoints Mbebe as Afcon CEO

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Pretoria - The South African Football Association (Safa) has appointed Mvuzo Mbebe as the Chief Executive for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournaments.

According to Safa, the appointment of the former SABC Group Executive for Content Enterprises is effective immediately.

South Africa will host the 29th edition of Africa's biggest sporting showpiece next year and the CHAN tournament in 2014.

In welcoming the new AFCON and CHAN chief executive officer, Safa President Kirsten Nematandani said Mbebe had the right credentials for these assignments having been involved in the sporting environment for the better part of his career.

"He brings the right experience, passion and has a proven track record to make next year's AFCON event one of the best tournaments ever held in the history of the competition," he said.

Mbebe said he was humbled with the trust shown to him by the association and the country.

"Since hosting the most successful FIFA World Cup, South Africa has become a global reference when it comes to hosting major events. I want to make South Africa and Africa in particular proud, and with the support of all South Africans, we can rise to the occasion to deliver a quality event of the same standards as the 2010 FIFA World Cup," he said.

Mbebe is currently the Secretary General of Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) and was the first co-Secretary General for Athletics South Africa (ASA), and later appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Council.

He led a delegation from ASA that successfully submitted a bid to host the World Cross Country Championship in 1996 and the 1998 World Cup in Athletics. Mbebe was advisor to the Minister of Sport and Recreation between 2000 and 2010.

Mbebe was the first Chef De Mission of the South African Team to attend the All Africa Games in 1995; part of the Management team for the first South African Teams to attend the Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 1994 and World Students Games in Buffalo in 1993.

He was a Director for the 7th All Africa Games Organising Committee in 1999 responsible for Marketing, Medical and Doping as well as Games Services.