Dodd Defeated in Bid to Regain FIFA Council Spot by Bangladeshi

Australia’s Moya Dodd failed in her bid to regain a place on the FIFA council after being beaten by Bangladeshi Mahfuza Akhter Kiron 27-17 in a vote at the congress of the Asian Football Confederation in Manama.

The two other candidates, North Korea’s Han Un Gyong and Palestine’s Susan Shalabi, had withdrawn before the ballot.

Dodd had previously served on the former executive committee of world football’s governing body but only in a co-opted capacity.

China’s Zhang Jian, South Korea’s Chung Mong-Gyu and Philippines’ Mariano Araneta were elected by acclamation to fill Asia’s three available ‘open’ slots on FIFA Council.

Also at the congress was FIFA president Gianni Infantino who told delegations that the world federation was “implementing day by day” its reforms after “some quite difficult times.”

The good news for Asia in particular was that he expected FIFA Council this week to approve proposals that the region’s World Cup allocation would jump from 4.5 slots to 8.5 at the 48-team finals likely to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.