New Safa boss Leslie Sedibe

The Big Interview: With a swagger and a touch of glamour, Leslie Sedibe brings a breath of fresh air to the SA Football Association. The new chief executive officer, unlike his battered and stressed predecessor, Raymond Hack, is a smooth and elegant operator.

Sedibe takes over while the going is fairly good in South African football, unlike the laced-up Hack, who had a different experience. Before Safa removed him last week, Hack had made Bafana Bafana the world's whipping boys, and within the association in-fighting worsened.

Hack seemed uninspired about the prospect of lifting the country's morale ahead of the World Cup in June, whereas Sedibe takes it chin-up.

"It's Africa's time and it's Africa's call and the World Cup is in good hands," he says.

Sediba has promised much and vowed to deliver what a "visionary leader" would. He brought a smile to the room when he put his head on the block and announced that 2010 means "party time".

Having worked as a celebrity lawyer, served as a member of the interim board of the SABC, and being married to famous actress Sonia Sedibe has helped him acquire near-celebrity status. This status and his background in the entertainment industry, means that he knows all about turning the tide on small and big affairs.

Many citizens of the World Cup host nation have not shied away from pointing out that the mood in the country is not one of a land poised to re-write history books with an African World Cup - the first of its kind. Even local organising committee chairman Irvin Khoza has expressed these views.

If Sedibe has not already acquired a squad of staunch critics in his tenure as chief executive of South Africa's football federation, this will soon change.

He, too, has suggested that the country feels dull. Nothing here indicates we're about to host the biggest party in the world. Why not use our artistic resources?

"We need to engage the artistic community and expose our country's arts and culture. There is so much musical tapestry in South Africa and many people have not even begun to experience this wonderful talent," says Sedibe.

"We need a catchy song. We need to engage the entire country," he added.

Sedibe, 36, is not oblivious to the fact that at his age, he is the envy of many aspiring football administrators in the country.

"I am proud and it is an honour for me to serve my country in this manner. I am young and ... I will run the length and breadth of the country in my role as CEO," he assures.

Prior to being named the new chief executive of Safa, Sedibe was little known in football circles despite being the legal manager of the 2010 Fifa local organising committee. But that has not prevented him from getting stuck in and making plans to re-unite the country with the senior national team, Bafana Bafana.

Sedibe is a man who appears to be honest and credible, and this is supported by his previous endeavours. Hack had a different past - corporate law - which lent a serious, business-like attitude that did not count in his favour.

It's been a week since his appointment as Hack's replacement, but already the pressure is mounting on Sedibe. His wife - Generations actress Sonia, known to many as Ntombi Dlomo - and four children have received the wrong end of the stick as far as his working hours are concerned.

"We try to spend as much time together as possible. My family is happy, even though this is a demanding job.

"We are called to serve and this is what national service is all about," says Sedibe.

One would have thought landing a new gig early (it is, after all, a year-long contract) in the year, Sedibe would have a smooth transition. But he rolled his eyes when that question was posed.

The files are piling high, and the handover process has had him running around looking for a charger for his phone so that he can field calls from journalists, family and friends alike - for different reasons, of course.