FIFA’s ad-hoc Electoral Committee has formally admitted five candidates to stand for the presidency of football’s global governing body at an election on Feb. 26, it said on Tuesday.
The five are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Sheik Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Jerome Champagne of France, Gianni Infantino of Italy and Switzerland and Tokyo Sexwale of South Africa, it said in a statement.
The vote, caused by Blatter’s decision to stand down amid growing scandal, will be held in Zurich on February 26.
“The Ad-hoc Electoral Committee has formally admitted and declared the candidates eligible for the election of the office of FIFA president at the extraordinary FIFA Congress,” said a letter sent to all 209 member associations on Tuesday.
While Sheikh Salman, head of the Asian Football Confederation, and Infantino, the UEFA general secretary, are seen as the frontrunners, all five are involved in a frantic hunt for votes. Sheikh Salman said Monday that he could invite Infantino, or English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore to be FIFA secretary general if he wins.
Infantino and Prince Ali, a former FIFA vice president from Jordan, were at a South American confederation, CONMEBOL, congress in Asuncion on Tuesday seeking support.
