ZURICH: Musa Bility’s over-optimistic bid for the FIFA presidency has ended before it has properly begun writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

The president of the Liberian football federation, who had announced his own campaign to succeed exit-bound Sepp Blatter at the head of world football, has been given the thumbs-down by his African confederation.

Only Michel Platini, French president of European federation UEFA, has formally launched a credible candidacy though South Korean Chung Mong-joon, former Asian FIFA vice-president, is expected to declare himself shortly.

Former World Cup stars Zico (Brazil) and Diego Maradona (Argentina) have talked of wanting to stand.

As for Bility, he sought to raise support at the latest meeeting of CAF’s executive committee in Cairo but was rebuffed.

A statement confirmed that Bility “had the opportunity to explain the reasons that motivated his decision to run for the FIFA presidency.”

But it added: “After a fraternal exchange, full of sincerity and cordiality, the CAF executive committee decided unanimously not to give Musa Bility the support he requested, wishing him good luck in the continuation of his mission.”

Bility is an long-established critic of CAF president Issa Hayatou who is also FIFA’s senior vice-president. In 2013, he helped lead a vain campaign to prevent Hayatou amending election rules in his favour and was duly suspended for six months by CAF for misuse of confidential documents.

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