7 fight for 3 seats representing Asia on FIFA ruling board

KUALA LUMPUR — Seven candidates are competing for three vacant Asia seats on FIFA's executive committee.

The Asian Football Confederation confirmed the candidates, including Olympic power broker Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait, Chung Mong-Gyu of South Korea, whose family owns World Cup sponsor Hyundai, and long-time incumbent Worawi Makudi of Thailand.

AFC President Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa will be re-elected unopposed, and assume Asia's FIFA vice presidency, at the April 30 elections in his native Bahrain.

The other seats complete Asia's quota among 25 elected places on FIFA's ruling board. Two have four-year mandates, and the third completes two years left of Sheikh Salman's ordinary FIFA seat.

The other candidates are: Tengku Abdullah, Malaysia; Kohzo Tashima, Japan; Saoud Al Mohannadi, Qatar; and Khalid Al Busaidi, Oman.