AFC to Elect New President Before April

The Asian Football Confederation will elect a President before April to perennially suspended AFC boss Mohamed Bin Hammam

An AFC statement said the election of a new leader was “subject to recommendations and advice of the AFC Legal Committee” with a decision due by mid-January.

The statement came after the AFC’s executive committee meeting at their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday under the chairmanship of China’s Zhang Jilong, who has held the role of acting President since May 2011.

Zhang is a likely candidate to assume the permanent role, but he will probably face competition from Bahraini FA President Sheikh Salman and others.

“Under my caretaker leadership, I promised a new vision for AFC. I committed myself to a new era of transparency and I am confident that with your support I will be able to deliver this objective,” Zhang said to AFC members.

Bin Hamman has been out of office for the last 18 months fighting corruption allegations.

Bin Hammam, who was elected in 2002, has been credited with revolutionising the Asian Champions League and oversaw Australia’s entrance to the confederation.

He survived two further elections, the last in January 2011 uncontested, but his reign has often been controversial.{jcomments on}