Asian football to elect new president

SINGAPORE – The turbulent reign of perennially suspended AFC boss Mohamed Bin Hammam will finally end with the regional body announcing plans yesterday to elect a new president before April 2013.

An Asian Football Confederation (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 yesterday under the chairmanship of China’s Zhang Jilong, who has held the role of acting president of the beleaguered body since May last year.Zhang is a likely candidate to assume the full role but he will probably face competition from Bahraini FA president Sheikh Salman amongst 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 told AFC members on Thursday.Should the election be approved by the AFC’s legal department and a replacement found it would bring an end to the most memorable tenure by an AFC president, who has been out of office for the last 18 months fighting corruption allegations.Elected in 2002, Bin Hammam was credited with revolutionising the Asian Champions League and also oversaw Australia’s entrance to the confederation. – Nampa-Reuters