By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 29 – The 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process was plunged into further disarray today when it emerged that Oceania may still be allowed to vote without suspended FIFA Executive Committee member Reynald Temarii having to waive his right of appeal.
With three days to go until the double secret ballot, arguably the most important landmark in World Cup bidding history, FIFA still refused to say whether Thursday’s vote would involve 22 or 23 officials.
Last weekend, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) asked football’s world governing body to allow it to send a replacement for Thursday’s vote in order to retain a say in deciding the venues for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Oceania officials met in Auckland and decided unanimously to send its acting President, David Chung, to Zurich in place of Temarii, suspended for a year by FIFA’s Ethics Committee earlier this month.
Originally it was understood that Chung would only be allowed to participate as the region’s sole representative if Temarii withdrew his right of appeal.
But insideworldfootball has learned this may no longer be the case after OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas flew into Zurich for complicated clarification talks with FIFA.
“We should have a decision one way or the other tomorrow or Wednesday,” Nicholas said in a telephone interview, adding that the OFC’s statutes did not necessarily mean Temarii would have to compromise for the benefit of his confederation.
“I have had meetings with FIFA and we are confident of being allowed to vote, not necessarily with Reynald having to make a decision.
“Maybe there is another option.
“Our executive believes Reynald relinquishing right of appeal and our right to take part in the vote are not necessarily conditional on each other, not necessarily linked.”
Any replacement for Temarii would almost certainly vote for Australia for 2022 though Oceania’s 2018 allegiance is less hard to predict, especially after the Sunday Times corruption expose that led to Temarii’s suspension.
England bid chief Andy Anson was due to meet with Nicholas later today in an attempt to woo Oceania’s vote should FIFA give the green light for bringing the number of voting members back up to 23.
“We have always had cordial relations with the FA,” said Nicholas who revealed that Chung was standing by in Singapore to catch a flight to Zurich as soon as FIFA makes up its mind.
“We are optimistic but there are still discussions to be had.”
FIFA’s procrastination hardly helps the four candidates bidding for 2018 to implement their voting strategies for the run-in.
The organisation simply released a short statement saying their were procedural rules that had to be undertaken.
England are clearly expecting to have to lobby for one more vote, however.
“We are anticipating 23 voters,” said Anson.
“We are waiting to hear officially.
“We know what the strategy is with 23.
“It means you have get over the line with 12 votes instead of 13 and we know which 12 we are targeting.”
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