World soccer's governing body is traversing the worst corruption
scandal in its over 100-year history and Blatter faces a Swiss criminal
investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.
Jibril
Al Rajoub (L), President of the Palestinian Football Association, Tokyo
Sexwale (C), chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine
and Israel Football Association president Ofer Eini attend a news
conference in the West Bank city of Jericho December 16, 2015.
REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman
It was Africa versus Europe in Johannesburg on Saturday as Tokyo Sexwale and Jerome Champagne lobbied southern Africa's football bosses for support to become the next head of the scandal-ridden soccer body FIFA.
The
South African apartheid-era political prisoner turned multimillionaire
and the former French diplomat laid out their plans to reform FIFA to
the Confederation of Southern African Football Association's (COSAFA)
annual general meeting.
The two men hoping to succeed suspended FIFA head Sepp Blatter
presented a show of solidarity as they recalled working together on
South Africa's successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup tournament.
World
soccer's governing body is traversing the worst corruption scandal in
its over 100-year history and Blatter faces a Swiss criminal
investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.
But the show of unity began to show cracks when Sexwale pointed out that FIFA had never had an African president.
"The
score is 111 to zero against Africa. For 111 years FIFA has not had an
African," said Sexwale, adding that Europe would have pulled out of FIFA
if the situation had been reversed.
"I am not
here to keep quiet like a slave and pretend that these things are not
happening," he added, raising the emotional temperature in the small
hotel conference room.
Champagne, who served as a
FIFA executive for nearly a decade until 2010, responded by saying the
choice was more about experience and ability than nationality.
"It's not matter of origin," he said. "It's a matter of knowing exactly of how to manage the structure."
"Because
I was pushed out of FIFA by a coalition of people who are all today
suspended, I know exactly what needs to changed. And that is the
experience I can provide," he said with growing passion in his voice.
The
air of unity returned toward the end of the news conference, with
Sexwale quipping he would name Champagne as his general secretary if the
Frenchman promised to do the same.
Prince Ali
Hussein of Jordan, another candidate, addressed the COSAFA meeting via
video link. He promised to have African leaders in his team if he won
the presidency.
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