MIAMI: Gordon Derrick has been forced out of the race to win the presidency of central and north American CONCACAF writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

The Antiguan failed an integrity check undertaken by world federation FIFA even though he continues to serve as head of the Caribbean Football Union.

This leaves a contest between Canada’s Victor Montagliani and Bermudan lawyer Larry Mussenden to succeed Honduran Alfredo Hawit who, like predecessors Jack Warner and Jeff Webb, has been indicted by the United States authorities on corruption charges.

CONCACAF is currently being run by a group of senior executive committee members.

The failure of Derrick to pass muster was confirmed by the office of Domenico Scala, independent chairman of the FIFA audit and compliance committee.

A statement said: “The Audit and Compliance Committee has concluded that one candidate, Mr Gordon Derrick from Antigua & Barbuda, could not be admitted as a candidate for the office of CONCACAF President nor FIFA vice-president nor the FIFA Council.

“For privacy reasons we are not in a position to go into further details with regard to this decision. The person concerned has been informed.”

The FIFA verification was necessary because the CONCACAF president will automatically become a vice-president of the world federation. Derrick has the right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It is understood he failed the integrity check after having been found guilty by the FIFA ethics committee of breaches over the FIFA presidential campaign in 2011 as well as being the subject of a year-long investigation into the alleged misuse of development funds.

The CONCACAF presidential election is due to be staged in Mexico City on May 12 so the new leader can take his place on the newly-created FIFA Council at the world federation congress the following day.

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