FIFA confirms 5 to contest for presidency

FIFA has confirmed the nomination of five candidates to take over from the banned Sepp Blatter as head of the world’s football governing body in the elections on February 26.

Prince Ali, Gianni Infantino, Jérôme Champagne and Tokyo Sexwale are the final names which will be voted for by 209 association members.

The Electoral Commission “has officially recognized” Sheikh Salman Bahraini, President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Gianni Infantino, Secretary General of the UEFA, Prince Ali, South Africa businessman Tokyo Sexwale, also a former companion of Nelson Mandela in prison, and French Jérôme Champagne, former FIFA Deputy Secretary General.

These five applications had already been validated in November by the Ethics Commission.

The 209 federation members will decide on who among the five will replace Joseph Blatter, who has been banned for 8 years.

Blatter was accused of corruption in his tenure as the FIFA president which has so far been the greatest FIFA crisis in history.