By Andrew Warshaw
August 7 – The early race to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president has taken a potentially significant twist with the African Football Confederation (AFC) refusing to endorse the candidacy of Liberia’s Musa Bility (pictured) who says he wants to stand along with UEFA boss Michel Platini.
Bility addressed CAF’s executive committee in Cairo at his own request on Thursday but was told he would not get their backing, CAF said in a statement, fuelling speculation that South African human rights icon and former political prisoner Tokyo Sexwale may be seriously weighing up a bid.
CAF said in a statement that Bility “had the opportunity to explain the reasons that motivated his decision to run for the FIFA presidency.”
But it added: “After a fraternal exchange, full of sincerity and cordiality, the CAF executive committee decided unanimously not to give Musa Bility the support he requested… wishing him good luck in the continuation of his mission.”
Bility, like all candidates, needs the written nominations of at least five associations to put his name forward for election on February 26.
The deadline is October 26 and he was always an outside contender given recent history, highlighted by a fraught relationship with CAF’s all-powerful president Issa Hayatou.
He led an unsuccessful attempt to overturn CAF election rules that ensured Hayatou would stay in power, twice losing at the Court of Arbritration for Sport. In 2013, he was banned by CAF for using unauthorised confidential documents.
The Africans were staunch advocates of Blatter in the last election in May and their 54-strong membership is likely to be crucial to the outcome of the next ballot.
CAF says it will wait until all candidates are known before deciding who to support. Platini has emerged as the early front-runner while South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon also intends to run.
But Bility told the BBC he had not ruled out gaining his confederation’s support.
“I’m privileged to have had the opportunity to talk to the entire CAF executive committee, to answer questions – concerns, admirations – all the issues that are wrong with football we discussed,” he said.
“I did not go to get a unanimous vote. I was given an opportunity to explain and lay my platform. That’s why I went and I’m happy I got it. There is a nomination process going on and the door for other people in African remains open. Until that door closes CAF cannot unanimously support me.
“CAF is the continent’s body and it has to listen to and review all options. It has to wait until the close of the nominations and then assess all the candidates before it makes a decision.”
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