By Paul Nicholson
March 1 – Delays by FIFA on clearing candidates to stand in the AFC elections for its Council is causing mounting concern amongst Asian member associations that FIFA’s executive function is operating in a far from independent manner.
A 21 day deadline given by FIFA to complete eligibility tests is now into its 26th day with no communication from FIFA’s Zurich headquarters on whether all candidates are cleared to run in the election that will select four representatives – one of whom will be a woman – to the FIFA Council.
The AFC is keen to avoid a repeat of the September 2016 farce that saw FIFA ban Qatari Saoud Al-Mohannadi from standing just 72 hours before the election at an extraordinary congress in Goa. The AFC members responded by disbanding the congress after just 27 minutes with an unequivocal 42-1 vote, sending a clear message to FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino that it would not stand idly as the world governing body, in their view, attempted to manipulate its elections.
It appears that Infantino has ignored that message and the rapidly growing belief in Asia is that he continues to have the process of clearance delayed while he seeks the candidates who would support his personal agenda. The concern is that FIFA will again find dubious integrity criteria to exclude candidates from standing. Al-Mohannadi was subsequently banned by FIFA, though cynics say it was to justify their eligibility ruling.
The election eligibility checks are being seen as part of a wider issue as talk in Asian circles is that FIFA needs to come clean on who is actually directing its committees and that too many of them are under the direction of FIFA House. Using the election interference as their example, concern is rising over the neutrality of FIFA’s executive and a general belief that FIFA reforms are not working and that they should be re-examined.
With FIFA’s executive already exerting influence in the African election for CAF president and CAF’s FIFA Council members, and having previously been linked with attempting to similarly influence the elections for the Caribbean Football Union presidency (alongside CONCACAF), trust in Infantino’s leadership is running out. If it hadn’t already done so in Asia.
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was more conciliatory in his tone on the AFC’s website said that the election will be another chance to demonstrate the unity of purpose that exists in Asia. “There will be winners and losers – that is normal in football,” he said.
“But during the election process the main goal – to deliver a Confederation, and indeed a FIFA, we can all be proud of – must be the over-riding sentiment. We will see different views, different approaches but I know we will see only one objective – to create a better game for future generations.”
However, the AFC had submitted names on February 3 for the FIFA eligibility checks which were to be completed within 21 days. The AFC’s executive committee at its meeting noted that FIFA had not completed the checks to their own deadlines and instructed its executive to push FIFA for a ruling on the eligibility of the candidates for election.
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