By Andrew Warshaw
February 9 – Three African federations say they will openly defy an instruction to support front-runner Sheikh Salman in the upcoming FIFA presidential election, proof if ever it was needed that confederation directives are not always followed by individual voting members.
Within days of the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) executive committee unanimously endorsing the candidacy of Sheikh Salman, Egypt, Liberia and South Sudan have come out in support of rival candidates, throwing even more uncertainty on the outcome of the eagerly awaited ballot to succeed Sepp Blatter.
South Sudan has pledged its vote for Europe-backed Gianni Infantino, the UEFA general secretary, while Egypt and Liberia have declared for former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost to Blatter in May.
“We are supporting Mr. Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency,” South Sudan federation president Chabur Goc Alei told The Associated Press. “Any (voter) has the right to choose whoever they want. It is not compulsory from CAF telling any member association he has to vote for Sheikh Salman.”
The vast amount of additional funding that Infantino has offered to support smaller federations has been widely questioned but Alei said the pledge of financial assistance for smaller regional groups to organise youth tournaments was key to his federation’s endorsement. “The proposal of Gianni is the only solution for the future of football in Africa and the whole world,” Alei added.
Africa, with its 54 members, is the main battleground in the race to replace Blatter and whoever gets its backing will almost certainly win the first round of voting on February 26.
Egypt apparently publicly promised Prince Ali its vote just hours after CAF’s meeting in Rwanda on Friday while in a letter to all African federations, Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured), who was himself barred from being a candidate because he did not meet strict integrity tests, wrote that Prince Ali “represents real change” and that he took on Blatter “when it was unthinkable to do so.”
“One must wonder why others would appear to talk about changing a system that they are not even prepared to criticise,” Bility wrote. “We are attempting to restore integrity and change FIFA for the good of the game.
“It is for that purpose – to right the wrongs and to offer our organisation a real chance for the change we seek – that I have decided to endorse the candidacy of Prince Ali of Jordan. Prince Ali’s action is clear and based on principled leadership. I trust him and urge you to do the same.”
The Liberian, who is understood to have been ruled out of bidding for the presidency partly because he has a criminal record, believes half of Africa’s federations could end up opposing CAF’s directive.
“I have been in contact with 26 African FA presidents and none will vote for Sheikh Salman,” Bility told BBC Sport.
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