DILI (31 Jan 2016) – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee at its meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday recommended that the Member Associations meet in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the FIFA Reform Committee governance proposals, tabled in December 2015.
The FIFA Reform Committee, under the independent chairman Francois Carrard, set three key principles for the future running of the world governing body.
These are principles of leadership to effect cultural change at FIFA, of governance reform, and to foster greater participation of member associations and stakeholders in FIFA.
These will now be discussed by the Member Associations at a special meeting prior to the AFC Confederation meeting in Zurich next month and the Member Associations will then vote on the proposed changes to FIFA statutes at the subsequent FIFA Congress.
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC President, said that the reform process was vital to FIFA. He said: “These are serious times for FIFA and we will all need to work together to ensure that the FIFA of the future is reformed in the right way. That is why I say that FIFA must be re-defined, re-structured and re-vitalised.’
Shaikh Salman again thanked the Executive Committee for its unequivocal backing of his FIFA Presidential Campaign at their last meeting in Delhi in November.
He said: “Thanks to your encouragement I have been able to enter this election with the overwhelming support of my Confederation, and that is clearly a massive help in my campaign. I was grateful for the unanimous show of support from this Executive Committee.
“I have been in constant contact with colleagues within the FIFA ExCo, in the other Confederations, and around the world. I have also done a lot of travelling outside Asia.
“I have received significant support around the world, and am happy with how the campaign has gone so far. So I go into the final month with confidence for the future of FIFA.”
The members of the Executive Committee again took the opportunity to re-iterate their total support for Shaikh Salman’s FIFA Presidential campaign stressing the importance of his success for the development of the game across the globe.
The AFC Executive Committee also expressed their backing for the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the AFC and the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) which was signed in Kigali, Rwanda on January 15, 2016 saying it was a significant agreement which will help football in both continents.
The outcomes of the Competitions Committee and the first Meeting of the Organising Committee of the Asian Cup 2019, both held in Doha this week – along with other AFC committees – were ratified by the Executive Committee.
The AFC President also praised the Qatar Local Organising Committee of the AFC U23 Championship for the outstanding tournament which is now at the semi-final stage. Shaikh Salman said: “I would like to congratulate all the participating associations as well as their players, for having made the tournament such a success.
“Congratulations also go to both Japan and Korea Republic who have not only reached the final but also booked their place in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Iraq and hosts Qatar meet tomorrow evening with the winner also qualifying for Rio.”
