Bahrain: Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa emerged last night as the clear favourite to win today’s election for Fifa president and give the much-maligned football governing body a fresh lease of life.
“As Fifa president I can promise you that I will not compromise on the principles that have helped restore stability and unity to Asian football,” said Shaikh Salman to a rapturous reception at the Asian Member Associations lunch.
The Asian and African football confederations, which have 100 votes of the 209 at Fifa, have unconditionally supported his candidacy.
“I make no false promises. I stand before you guaranteeing that Fifa will be run as a more professional and responsible body that can provide its members with financial security and certainty,” Shaikh Salman promised.
Shaikh Salman’s main rival at the election is Gianni Infatino of Switzerland. Three others – Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Jerome Champagne, a former Fifa official from France, and Tokyo Sexwale, a South African businessman and politician, are also in the fray.
JUDGEMENT DAY
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the favourite, rolled the dice one final time yesterday saying he won’t make ‘false promises’ or ‘mortgage Fifa for a few votes’ and much more except short of ordering, like the Terminator, ‘come with me if you want to live’ on the eve of Judgment Day today when 207 of the 209 member countries elect a new president at Hallenstadion in Zürich.
All five candidates scampered through snowy Zurich in last minute campaigning yesterday at the end of which Shaikh Salman once again emerged as a clear favourite, ahead of his main rival Gianni Infantino of Switzerland, to win the elections and give the much maligned Fifa a fresh lease of life.
This was very much clear at the Asian Member Associations lunch yesterday afternoon when Shaikh Salman received a rapturous reception and undivided and unconditional support from the Asian Football Confederation of which he is the president.
“As Fifa president I can promise you that I will not compromise the principles that have helped restore stability and unity to Asian football,” said Shaikh Salman.
“I make no false promises. I stand before you guaranteeing that Fifa will be run as a more professional and responsible body that can provide its members with financial security and certainty.
“Fifa will care for and nurture football whatever the size or ambitions of your association. Fifa will be run with development at its core; Fifa will have integrity, responsibility and accountability as its values; and professionalism will be Fifa’s bedrock,” he elaborated in a passionate tone.
Later, Shaikh Salman visited the hotel were the Bahrain media delegation is staying, looking composed and confident. Though he left in a hurry without speaking to the Bahrain media, the spring in his step said a lot more than any rhetoric would have.
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel, a close friend of Shaikh Salman, was among the leaders praising the front runner.
“Shaikh Salman is a proven leader as he has demonstrated at the AFC. At this time Fifa needs someone to lead and be a strong president. Fifa needs a strong and mature leader,” he said.
Another prominent well-wisher was Saudi Arabian Executive Committee member Ahmed Eid. “We are supporting Shaikh Salman. This is not just from our Federation but throughout our country. We can see the support across the world.
”This is because of what he has achieved as AFC president in the last three years. He has brought great stability to an organisation which was once in turmoil. This is the time for Asia to show world football the leadership it requires,” he said.
Another major supporter of Shaikh Salman was Confederation of African Football vice-president Suketu Patel, who expects 53 of his continent’s 54 member associations to vote for the 50-year old Bahrain Royal Family member.
Patel’s prediction yesterday came after CAF’s executive committee had unanimously voted to back Shaikh Salman.
But some experts are sceptical about nations close to Bahrain geographically, if not politically. Some refuse to even count on some of Bahrain’s neighbours, particularly the UAE and Palestine who are expected to vote for Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.
“Prince Ali’s sister is married to one of the rulers of Bahrain’s neighbouring country and he is also very close to the leadership of many other GCC and Arab countries,” another expert suggested.
The two remaining contenders in the fray are Jerome Champagne of France and Tokyo Sexwale of South Africa, an anti-apartheid campaigner who was a political prisoner on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela. But both are expected to be eliminated in the first round.
Today’s Extraordinary Fifa Congress, starting at 11.30am Bahrain time, will not only elect a new Fifa president but also vote on proposed reforms.
WHAT HAPPENS TODAY
Kuwait and Indonesia are banned from having a say in today’s Fifa election due to government interference in the federations’ independence, leaving 207 voters of the 209 member nations, which is bigger than the UN membership.
A two-thirds majority of 138 is required to win in a first round of voting. If that target is not met, a simple majority of over 50 percent - 104 - is necessary from the second round. The lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated from subsequent rounds.
From Fifa founding in 1904, there were no contested elections until Stanley Rous was elected in 1961. The Englishman was unseated by Joao Havelange in the 1974 vote.
Havelange led Fifa unchallenged for 24 years. The Brazilian won re-election for the final time in 1994 before being succeeded four years later by Sepp Blatter. The 79-year-old Swiss won two of his five elections unopposed.
Today’s Fifa Congress starts at 11.30am Bahrain time and voting is expected to begin around 3.30pm Bahrain time.
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