Brother of World Cup chief 'profited from Fifa contract'

The World Cup's chief organiser Danny Jordaan has denied that he personally profited from contracts related to the tournament after it emerged that his brother had benefited from a lucrative deal with Fifa.

The head of the local organising committee in South Africa said he was the victim of a "smear campaign" after the weekly Mail and Guardian newspaper revealed that his brother, Andrew, was the owner of a company that was paid in connection with corporate hospitality packages at the month-long event.

Fifa, the governing body of world football, paid a monthly fee of R200,000 to a company belonging to Mr Jordaan's younger brother to act as a local liaison to Match Event Services, the company with sole rights to hospitality packages, the paper reported.

Mr Jordaan denied any involvement with the appointment and blamed the story on Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the local organising committee and a longstanding rival of Mr Jordaan's within South Africa's football authorities.

"I am not my brother's keeper," Mr Jordaan told reporters. "I have never in my 17 years in football taken any money from anyone. All I have is my name and I will not have it tarnished for malicious reasons - not after I fought so hard for this country."

- INDEPENDENT