By Samindra Kunti and Paul Nicholson
March 1 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed the final list of candidates who will stand for election at the 29th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur in April.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who has been Asia’s top official since 2013, faces opposition from Qatar’s Saoud Al-Mohannadi and the UAE’s HE Mohamed Khalfan Alromaithi.
Salman is also a FIFA vice president and a member of the FIFA Council.
The rumours around the AFC presidency and geo-political influences surrounding had raised fears that governmental pressure rather than football-based credentials would dominate the election voting.
Those fears were aired at the AFC’s conference last year and have been part realised already by the Iraqi FA who said in a TV interview they would be influenced by their government on who they should vote for.
Originally a challenge from Saudi Arabia Football Federation’s former President Adel Ezzat was mooted but with the Saudis increasingly being seen as bad regional actors over the beoutQ TV channel piracy, the attempt to create influence by the funding of a new regional sub-body (SAFF) and their involvement with the $25 billion offer to FIFA for a revamped international calendar, he was pulled out in favour of supporting the UAE’s Al Romaithi.
With geo-political tension between the alliance of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and their economic blockade of Qatar, not easing, Qatar’s Saoud Al-Mohannadi entered the election, doubtless to protect his own country’s interests with the hosting of the 2022 World Cup less than four years away.
That geo-political stand-off and the clear political influences that are using football for national interest, would on the face of it make both Al Romaithi and Al-Mohannadi look unelectable.
However, it looks like politics and football can co-exist after all, as they have both passed eligibility checks to be able to go forward to the elections. The AFC Electoral Committee and the FIFA Review Committee conducted eligibility checks on the candidates, including those standing for a seat on the FIFA Council.
Other positions up for election are five AFC vice presidents, a total of five AFC Female executive committee members, one of whom shall also be a FIFA Council member and a further nine AFC executive committee members.
AFC election candidates:
AFC President and FIFA Vice President (Term 2019 – 2023):
HE Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al-Mohannadi (Qatar)
HE Mohamed Khalfan Matar Saeed Alromaithi (United Arab Emirates)
FIFA Council Members (Term 2019 – 2023)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (Qatar) Mr. Khalid Awad A. Althebity (Saudi Arabia) Mr. Mariano V. Araneta, Jr. (Philippines)
Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea Republic)
HE Du Zhaocai (China PR) Mr. Praful Patel (India)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IR Iran)
Mr. Kohzo Tashima (Japan)
AFC Vice Presidents (Term 2019 – 2023)
(WEST ZONE)
Mr. Kosay bin Abdulaziz Al Fawaz (Saudi Arabia) Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (Qatar)
Mr. Hachem Haidar (Lebanon)
(CENTRAL ZONE)
Mr. Semetei Sultanov (Kyrgyz Republic)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IR Iran)
(SOUTH ZONE)
Mr. Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat (Pakistan) (ASEAN ZONE)
Dato’ Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (Malaysia) Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (Vietnam)
Mr. Zaw Zaw (Myanmar)
(EAST ZONE)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (Mongolia) Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea Republic) HE Du Zhaocai (China PR)
AFC Female Executive Committee Members (Term 2019 – 2023), one of whom shall also be a FIFA Council member (Term 2019 – 2023)
(WEST ZONE)
Ms. Susan R. A Alshalabi (Palestine)
(SOUTH ZONE)
Ms. Mahfuza Akhter Kiron (Bangladesh) Ms. Mariyam Mohamed (Maldives) (ASEAN ZONE)
Ms. Kanya Keomany (Laos)
(EAST ZONE)
Ms. Han Un Gyong (DPR Korea)
AFC Executive Committee members (Term 2019 – 2023) (WEST ZONE)
Mr. Abed-Alkhaliq Masoud Ahmed (Iraq)
Dr. Hamid Mohammed Ali Al-Shaibani (Yemen)
Mr. Luai Ibrahim A. Alsubaiey (Saudi Arabia)
H.E. Sheikh Salem Said Salem Al Wahaibi (Oman) H.E. Eng. Marwan Bin Ghalita (United Arab Emirates) Mr. Hachem Haidar (Lebanon)
(CENTRAL ZONE)
Mr. Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada (Afghanistan)
(SOUTH ZONE)
Mr. Anura De Silva (Sri Lanka)
Mr. Ugen Tsechup (Bhutan)
(ASEAN ZONE)
Dato’ Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (Malaysia) Mr. Lee Boon Aun Winston (Singapore)
Mr. Chris Nikou (Australia)
Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (Vietnam)
(EAST ZONE)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (Mongolia)
Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea Republic) Mr. Fok Kai Shan Eric (Hong Kong) Mr. Kohzo Tashima (Japan)
Contact the writers of this story, Samindra Kunti and Paul Nicholson, at moc.l1727155180labto1727155180ofdlr1727155180owedi1727155180sni@n1727155180osloh1727155180cin.l1727155180uap1727155180
