By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Qatar’s hopes of securing a place at the top table of FIFA look set to be dashed for a second time as Asian football gears up for a powerful alliance between the region’s two most influential officials.
Two years after 2022 World Cup CEO Hassan al-Thawadi put up a brave fight before being ultimately foiled in his bid for a spot on FIFA’s executive committee, Qatar Football Association vice-president Saud Al Mohannadi has his work cut out when he tries to do the same at next month’s elections in Bahrain.
High-ranking sources have privately admitted that Kuwaiti Olympic supremo Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, one of seven candidates vying for three Asian Fifa exco seats, is almost certain to be elected at the Asian Football Confederation congress on April 30.
That would appear to virtually rule Al Mohannadi out of the running because of Asia’s traditional geo-political quota system, along with Oman’s Khalid Al Busaidi, the last contender to put his name forward and one of the savviest officials in the region.
The AFC has four of the 25 elected FIFA exco seats. At next month’s elections, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa will vacate his “ordinary” seat, which has two years to run, to assume the FIFA vice presidency for Asia on a fresh four-year mandate.
The other two seats up for grabs are held by Worawi Makudi of Thailand and Zhang Jilong of China. Declared candidates in addition to Sheikh Ahmad, Al Mohannadi and Al busaidi are Chung Mong-gyu (president of the South Korean federation), Tengku Abdullah (president of the Football Association of Malaysia), Japanese football chief Kohzo Tashima and Makudi himself.
As long anticipated, Sheikh Salman, elected AFC president two years ago, will be running unopposed to retain the post and will be delighted at having his power base cemented by his ally Sheikh Ahmad, who has led the influential Olympic Council of Asia since 1991 and is honorary president of the Kuwaiti FA.
Both are strong Sepp Blatter supporters and have expressed surprised at Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan’s decision to stand against Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
In a statement, Salman said he would “spare no effort” to continue providing support for the Member Associations to help them raise the standard of football in their own countries. That will be of little comfort to Prince Ali, who loses his Asian FIFA vice-presidency to Salman under a controversial AFC statutes change, or the Jordanian royal’s band of loyal supporters.
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