By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – New details have emerged over how Mohamed Bin Hammam, the challenger for the biggest job in world football, was unexpectedly denied a visa to the United States for the all-important CONCACAF Congress earlier this week.
Insideworldfootball has learned that Bin Hammam, who is taking on FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich on June 1, travels on a diplomatic passport yet was still unable to fly to Miami.
In a blog on his website on the eve of the Congress, bin Hammam revealed that he was unable to attend ” due to issues beyond my control”.
Insideworldfootball later discovered he was in fact refused a visa – and it has now been revealed how that came about.
According to Bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), he was the victim of an “administrative error” on the US side which prevented him joining Blatter in Miami and putting forward his case for taking over as FIFA boss.
“Yes, I have a diplomatic passport,” Bin Hammam said in a statement transmitted to insideworldfootball.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the CONCACAF Congress in Miami, Florida, because of an administrative error.
“And I have been definitely affected by it.”
An AFC spokesman went even further.
“There was an administrative faux pas – not on our side! – when he submitted his passport for the stamping of the US visa,” he told insideworldfootball via email.
“Even diplomatic passport holders like the AFC President sometimes need a visa.”
Bin Hammam had expected to travel to Miami, via Europe, straight from Paraguay where he had attended the CONMEBOL congress of South American delegates 48 hours before the equivalent CONCACAF event which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
But because of passport snafus, he never made it to the latter.
“When the passport came back, the visa had not been stamped and the book had to be sent back,” said the AFC spokesman.
“This coincided with the Easter holidays and before the visa could be stamped he had to catch the plane to the UK and, onwards to, Paraguay.”
Bin Hammam’s non-appearance technically reduced his chances of unseating 75-year-old Blatter.
But as a result of being denied the chance to address CONCACAF delegates, he has now been invited to Trinidad next week at a specially convened alternative summit where he will meet CONCACAF president Jack Warner and Caribbean members of confederation.
Although Blatter remains odds-on favourite to capture CONCACAF’s support, Warner has insisted no official position will be taken “in the interests of fair play” until after the Trinidad talks with bin Hammam and probably not until just before the vote itself.
“I look forward to meeting all my friends and brothers in Trinidad and Tobago in a week’s time,” said Bin Hammam.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1747450869labto1747450869ofdlr1747450869owedi1747450869sni@w1747450869ahsra1747450869w.wer1747450869dna1747450869
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May 2011: Exclusive – Bin Hammam denied US visa to attend CONCACAF Congress