New Zealand candidates take on Chung in battle to replace Temarii as Oceania head

January 9 – Three candidates are standing to replace suspended FIFA vice president Reynald Temarii as leader of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), it has been announced.

The OFC said that interim leader David Chung from Papua New Guinea and two former New Zealand players, Fred de Jong and Frank van Hattum, are nominees for the Presidential election.

The 11 Oceania member nations will vote next Saturday (January 15) at their annual congress being held in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

The winning candidate is scheduled to join FIFA’s 24-member Executive Committee at its June congress in Zurich.

Temarii, from Tahiti, was denied the chance to stand for re-election after the FIFA Eethics Committee suspended him from all football duty for one year last November.

Chung was expected to be the only candidate but New Zealand Football has surprised everyone by putting forward van Hattum, its chairman and former All White goalkeeper, 52, and de Jong, 46, a Board member and ex-All White striker.

Winning back the Oceania Presidency for the first time since the days of the late Charlie Dempsey could strengthen New Zealand’s political clout within FIFA, just weeks after a hosting bid for the 2015 Under-20 World Cup was revealed.

But the ten Pacific island nations which complete the OFC, along with New Zealand, are expected to form an alliance to back Chung.

“New Zealand putting forward two nominations is more about having a voice, getting speaking rights at congress,” said 46-year-old de Jong (pictured wearing number 13).

“There’s been some things happen in recent times that we [NZF] have thought aren’t as transparent or open as they should be.

“We just want to ensure on the day of congress we have a voice and, maybe, highlight a few things.

“Whether or not Oceania wants New Zealand to run the Confederation, that’s up to the delegates on the day.

“To be honest we’re not that fussed about who is President of Oceania, so long as they’re open and transparent in all their decision making.”

The OFC said it expects FIFA President Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke to attend.

The Ethics panel found Temarii breached rules on confidentiality and loyalty when he spoke with undercover reporters from British newspaper The Sunday Times.

The paper’s investigation alleged bribe-taking and vote-trading among FIFA officials connected with the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting votes which were won by Russia and Qatar respectively.

Temarii has said he will appeal his punishment.