THE president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) gave no hint yesterday about the body’s support for or opposition to the re-election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president.

The votes of the AFC’s 47 members could be critical when Infantino seeks his fourth term in an election in March.

Infantino faces strong opposition in Europe, has staunch support in Africa, and Asia could provide the swing votes.

Opposition candidates have until November 18 to file. So far, none has.

“For people who try to divide us this is not going to happen,” AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a brief address to close a two-day session in Tokyo.

He gave no indication that the AFC, as a body, would take a position on Infantino.

That was different from just over two months ago, when the AFC joined football governing bodies in North and Central America and Europe in saying Infantino had committed a “fundamental breach of trust.”

Recent reports and his brief remarks yesterday indicate Sheikh Salman may have moderated his views.

Asia appears split. Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, has come out in support of Infantino, while Jordan has declared its opposition.

“We’re not against anyone and we’re not in favour of anyone,” Sheikh Salman said. “We’re always going to express our feelings and try to do what’s best and what’s right for football. Not just in Asia.”

Infantino apologised last week in Zurich to FIFA’s 37-member ruling council, which he chairs, for “mistakes” he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion sell-off plan for the World Cup.

An Associated Press tally shows 87 of the 211 federations have indicated support for Infantino, either in individual comments or by endorsing statements of support from their regional confederations.

• Gianni Infantino

The meetings in a five-star hotel in Tokyo were closed to the media.

The conference was shown on the AFC’s YouTube channel, with presentations orchestrated without reporters present.

Infantino seldom speaks with the media and has been travelling and electioneering in Asia but did not appear publicly at the seminars in Tokyo. FIFA’s media office during the week promoted his presence in Bhutan and Bangladesh, small federations that each have one vote, the same as powerful football nations such as Spain and France.

Sheikh Salman made passing reference to the turmoil in the Middle East and its effect on football in the region.

“We know that the world is changing and football, I think, gets affected as well from what’s happening,” he said, “whether it’s political, economic or whatever it is.

“People are following the news, what’s happening in the Middle East. It’s important for us.” — AP

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