By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Kuwait’s Olympic supremo Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, arguably the most powerful figure in Asian sport, looks set to throw his hat into the ring to take up one of Asia’s slots on the FIFA Executive Committee.
With the February 28 deadline for nominations just 48 hours away, AFP has quoted “reliable sources” as saying the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) would be proposed by the Kuwait Football Association (KFA), of which he is honorary president, to join the inner sanctum of football’s world governing body.
Three of the four Asian places at the top table of FIFA are due to be elected at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress in Bahrain in April.
Last week it was announced that Chung Mong-gyu, president of the South Korean Football Association and cousin of former Asian football powerbroker Chung Mong-joon, had also put his name forward in what now looks like being a hotly disputed contest.
China’s Zhang Jilong has not yet said whether he intends to run again but Worawi Makudi of Thailand is expected to do so. Other contenders are likely to include Kozo Tashima (Japan), Tengku Abdullah ( Malaysia) and Saud Al Mohannadi (vice-president of the Qatar Football Association).
It is understood Sheikh Ahmad is going specifically for the FIFA exco position that has a two-year rather than a four-year term, the one to be vacated by AFC President Sheikh Salman when he combines his current role with that of Asia’s FIFA vice-president.
The pair are solid allies (Sheikh Ahmad was pivotal in getting Sheikh Salman into power) and both are backing Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming FIFA presidential election. That will not be lost on rival election candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan as he lobbies to pick up as much support as he can from within his own Continent.
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