A leading sports official from Doha will stand for a spot on FIFA’s executive committee during elections in April, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced.
QFA vice-president Saud Al Mohannadi added in a statement that he will also run for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) vice president.
The bid comes nearly two years after Hassan Al Thawadi failed to win enough support to join the ExCo in 2013.
At the time, the secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy was beaten by Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, who is also the current AFC president.
According to Reuters, Al Mohannadi’s bid is a strategic one for Qatar, which will host the World Cup in 2022:
“Qatar have suffered relentless criticism since being awarded the right to host the World Cup for the first time in a 2010 vote and having a voice at FIFA’s top table could help quieten the backlash.”
Ongoing issues
FIFA’s executive committee has discussed a number of Qatar-related issues in the past few years, including corruption allegations, the searing summer heat and human rights abuses.
Over the next few months, the ExCo is expected to decide on whether the tournament should be moved to Qatar’s cooler months. Members have also kept an eye on the progress of labor reforms here, amid international concern over the mistreatment of migrant workers.
Others who are running for the world football governing body’s ExCo include Japan Football Association Vice President Kozo Tashima and Malaysian Football President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Reuters reports.
Shortly after those elections, several officials will vie for the FIFA presidency in May.
Facing off are current president Sepp Blatter, who is running for a fifth term; Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, a current ExCo member; former Portugal captain and 2001’s FIFA World Player of the Year Luis Figo; and head of Dutch soccer, Michael van Praag.
Last month, officials in Qatar and the rest of the GCC said they would remain loyal to Blatter during the upcoming elections.
Thoughts?
