KUALA LUMPUR: Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa will face two rivals for his role as president of the Asian Football Confederation at congress next April writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

However his two challenges will not include former Saudi Arabian federation president Adel Ezzat who had originally amnounced an intention to stand. He appears to have given up hope of preventing the Bahraini obtaining a third term after the Saudis suffered a heavy defeat in an October vote concerning changes to the AFC statutes.

Instead Sheikh Salman’s rivals will be Qatar’s Saoud A.Aziz M A Al-Mohannadi and Mohamed Khalfan Matar Saeed Alromaithi from the United Arab Emirates. The latter will be considered a substitute challenger on behalf of the Saudi faction.

The two also represent a tiresome but predictable extension of the political and diplomatic tussle between Qatar and  Saudi-led coalition.

The likely outcome is that the two challengers will split the anti-Salman vote and allow him to retain his role as both AFC president and FIFA vice-president.

An AFC statement, setting out the full list of election candidates, said:

On 31 October 2018, in accordance with Article 32.1 of the AFC Statutes (Edition 2018), the Member Associations were notified that the election for members of the AFC Executive Committee (term 2019-2023) would be held at the 29th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 6, 2019.

Member Associations were given until midnight (Malaysia time) on December 6, 2018 to submit their nominations as per the requirement set out in the AFC Statutes (Edition 2018) and the AFC Electoral Code (Edition 2018) for the following positions:

  • AFC President and FIFA Vice President;
  • Five AFC Vice Presidents;
  • Six FIFA Council Members, one of whom shall also be an AFC Female Executive Committee Member;
  • A total of five AFC Female Executive Committee Members, one of whom shall also be a FIFA Council member; and
  • A further nine AFC Executive Committee members.
The AFC received the following nominations for those positions by the notified deadline:
  • AFC President and FIFA Vice President
HE Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (BAH)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al-Mohannadi (QAT)
HE Mohamed Khalfan Matar Saeed Alromaithi (UAE)
  • Five AFC Vice Presidents
(WEST)
Mr. Kosay bin Abdulaziz Al Fawaz (KSA)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (QAT)
Mr. Hachem Haidar (LIB)

(CENTRAL)
Mr. Semetei Sultanov (KGZ)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IRN)

(SOUTH)
Mr. Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat (PAK)
Mr. Praful Patel (IND)

(ASEAN)
Dato’ Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (MAS)
Pol. Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung (THA)
Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (VIE)
Mr. Zaw Zaw (MYA)

(EAST)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (MNG)
Mr. Mong Gyu Chung (KOR)
Mr. Du Zhaocai (CHN)
Mr. Valentino San Gil (GUM)

  • Six FIFA Council Members, one of whom shall also be an AFC Female Executive Committee Member
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (QAT)
Mr. Khalid Awad A. Althebity (KSA)
Mr. Mariano V. Araneta, Jr. (PHI)
Mr. Mong Gyu Chung (KOR)
Mr. Du Zhaocai (CHN)
Mr. Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat (PAK)
Mr. Praful Patel (IND)
Mr. Kohzo Tashima (JPN)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IRN)
  • A total of five AFC Female Executive Committee Members, one of whom shall also be a FIFA Council member
(WEST)
Ms. Susan R. A Alshalabi (PLE)
(SOUTH)
Ms. Mahfuza Akhter Kiron (BAN)
Ms. Mariyam Mohamed (MDV)
(ASEAN)
Ms. Kanya Keomany (LAO)
(EAST)
Ms. Han Un Gyong (DPR)
  • A further nine AFC Executive Committee members
(WEST)
Mr. Abed-Alkhaliq Masoud Ahmed (IRQ)
Dr. Hamid Mohammed Ali Al-Shaibani (YEM)
Mr. Luai Ibrahim A. Alsubaiey (KSA)
HE Sheikh Salem Said Salem Al Wahaibi (OMA)
HE Eng. Marwan bin Ghalita (UAE)
Mr. Hachem Haidar (LIB)

(CENTRAL)
Mr. Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada (AFG)

(SOUTH)
Mr. Anura De Silva (SRI)
Mr. Karma Tsering Sherpa (NEP)
Mr. Ugen Tsechup (BHU)

(ASEAN)
Dato’ Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (MAS)
Mr. Joko Driyono (IDN)
Mr. Lee Boon Aun Winston (SGP)
Mr. Chris Nikou (AUS)
Pol. Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung (THA)
Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (VIE)

(EAST)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (MNG)
Mr. Mong Gyu Chung (KOR)
Mr. Fok Kai Shan Eric (HKG)
Mr. Valentino San Gil (GUM)
Mr. Kohzo Tashima (JPN)

The nominated candidates will now be required to go through an eligibility check conducted by the AFC Electoral Committee and for the FIFA council positions, by the FIFA Review Committee.

The AFC Electoral Committee will be responsible for all tasks relating to the organisation, running and supervision of the elections. The elections of the FIFA Council positions will be monitored by persons appointed by the FIFA Governance Committee.

The final list of candidates will be published at the latest 30 days prior to the Congress as stipulated in the AFC Statutes (Edition 2018) and the AFC Electoral Code (Edition 2018).

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