Japanese Fifa bigwig Kozo Tashima has emerged as a surprise possible challenger to Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as president of football’s world governing body.
Tashima, honorary president of the Japan Football Association and a member of the Fifa Council for more than a decade, is the first rival candidate to have the backing of his FA.
Fifa election hopefuls require endorsement from a minimum of five FAs and have until 17 November to declare their candidacy for the vote in March next year.
“I am grateful that I can make this announcement with the full support of the JFA,” the 68-year-old former Japan international was quoted as saying.
“It’s not about winning or losing but about conveying to the world the honest, sound and upright attitude that Japanese football has built.
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SUBSCRIBE HERE“What Fifa needs now are these values that we have protected. I have decided to run in order to make this appeal to the world.”
Tashima had modest playing and coaching careers before moving into football administration, becoming vice-president of the JFA in 2010 and a member of the Asian Football Confederation’s executive committee a year later.
He joined the Fifa Council in 2015 and, soon after, president of the JFA and the East Asian Football Federation.
Asia key battleground in Infantino bid for Fifa re-election
Infantino had looked set to be re-elected unopposed despite drawing a huge backlash with secret plans to sell stakes in the commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors.
He dropped the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposals and apologised for sidelining the Fifa Council over the issue but has resisted calls to make public all materials relating to FFE.
Infantino has secured the backing of African, South American, Caribbean and Arabic voting blocs but remains opposed by the majority of European and North America FAs.
European governing body Uefa has been expected to put forward a challenger but, with less than a fortnight until the declaration deadline, is yet to do so.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has announced his candidacy but is not thought to have the required five endorsements.
Asia has emerged as a key battleground, with its confederation’s decision to U-turn and back Infantino drawing criticism from Jordanian chief Prince Ali bin Hussein.
Fifa’s former governance chief this week claimed that Infantino’s decision to seek a fourth mandate would not survive a challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.