MANAMA: Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa pledged Asia’s support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid as FIFA president on Wednesday while confirming he will seek a third term at the helm of the AFC.

Infantino will be standing for a third stint in charge of soccer’s global governing body having defeated Sheikh Salman to claim the presidency in 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s resignation.

“The Asian football family is forever grateful to president Infantino for his steadfast support and commitment to developing the game in our continent,” Sheikh Salman said during his address by video to delegates from Bahrain.

“We were encouraged by the motivated leadership provided by president Infantino during the Covid-19 pandemic, not only to Asian football but also to world football.

“As the Asian football family warmly welcomes president Infantino’s re-election bid, I can assure him today that we will stand united behind his candidateship.”

Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to receive the pledge of support from Asian delegates and “for your trust, for your commitment to continue working together.

“To me this means a lot,” he said. “You know my very tight ties with Asia, a continent I cherish, that I love, that I fondly believe in, a continent that had a great past in football and will have a much greater future.”

Sheikh Salman confirmed he would stand for a third term as AFC president after initially taking over in 2013 from then-acting president Zhang Jilong.

“I would like to inform you today that I will be standing for re-election in 2023,” he said. “I hope to receive your trust and support once again for the next term as the AFC President.

“Much has been accomplished and there is still much more to be done. Together we will continue to implement our cherished agenda of transforming Asian football and taking it to greater heights.”

The AFC was also in chaos when Sheikh Salman took charge after predecessor, Qatari businessman Mohamed bin Hammam, was banned from football for life following bribery claims and conflict-of-interest violations.

After completing the last two years of bin Hammam’s term, Sheikh Salman was re-elected unopposed in 2015 and 2019.

Asian football has been badly hit by the pandemic, with serious disruption to its competitions including China’s withdrawal last week as host of the 2023 Asian Cup.

A decision on the new host will be made by the AFC’s executive committee after the AFC’s congress voted in favour of a proposal to allow the decision making body to appoint the replacement.

The Chinese had been due to organise the tournament next June and July but the country’s continuing efforts to follow a zero-Covid policy has resulted in the 24-team competition moving elsewhere.

Delegates at the congress, which was held online and chaired from Bahrain by AFC general secretary Windsor John, voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving up their right to decide the replacement host.

The proposal from the executive committee, which was passed with 42 out of 45 members associations voting in favour, stated the AFC congress should no longer take the final decision.

Instead, the confederation’s administration will define the terms and requirements of the bidding process to find a replacement host and submit a report to allow the executive committee to make a final decision.

No timeline was given for the decision and the next executive committee meeting has yet to be scheduled.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2022