Bwalya pulls out of FIFA Council race to focus on CAF exco bid

March 6 – Former Zambian FA president Kalusha Bwalya has withdrawn from the race for a place on the FIFA Council – less than two weeks before elections for African representatives.

Bwalya said he was pulling out to concentrate on winning re-election to the Confederation of African (CAF) football’s executive committee.

Elections for African places on the FIFA Council will be held at the CAF Congress in Addis Ababa on 16 March, at the same time as the CAF executive committee vote and the presidential election ballot.

Bwalya was initially standing for places on both bodies but told reporters: “I have decided to withdraw from the race, to concentrate on retaining my ex-co position.”

Bwalya was one of three candidates for the one remaining available place on the FIFA Council reserved for a representative from Africa’s Anglophone countries. His withdrawal leaves a straight fight between Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi and Leodegar Tenga of Tanzania.

Africa has seven places in all with one automatically reserved for the CAF president and another for a female representative.  The other five places will be decided on March 16.

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