AFC head to run for FIFA presidency

PTV – KUALA LUMPUR, The Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that he would compete for the role of FIFA head later this year.

“After careful consideration I have decided to stand in the FIFA presidential elections on June 1 at the FIFA congress,” Mohamed Bin Hammam said on Friday.

“I have the wish and will to serve FIFA — I have always declared that competition is good,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Incumbent president Sepp Blatter from Switzerland is seeking a fourth term as the head of FIFA.

Bin Hammam, who was sworn in unopposed for a third and final four-year term as AFC head in January, is hoping to become the ninth president of FIFA and the first from Asia.

To win the election, the candidates must convince two-thirds of FIFA’s 208 member nations — 138 of them — to vote their way.

For Bin Hammam to win would require an enormous switch of support away from Blatter, who beat Issa Hayatou of Cameroon by 139-56 votes in the last election in 2002 and was reelected by acclamation of the 208 members in 2007.

Bin Hammam’s enormous influence helped Qatar win the right to stage the 2022 World Cup finals when FIFA’s executive committee voted on the issue in December.

The FIFA election would be held at the two-day FIFA Congress in Zurich starting on May 31.