TheCable

The only African candidate in the running for the FIFA president, South African Tokyo Sexwale says he is unperturbed by the endorsement of an Asian by the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF, the largest bloc in FIFA with 54 of the 209 members, endorsed Sheikh Salman Ibn Ebrahim al-Khalifa on Friday.

Sexwale said thereafter: “The election of the FIFA President on the 26th of this month goes ahead and I am a candidate. It goes ahead because I am been sent by own association from South Africa and also representing the aspirations of many associations across the world who have nominated me to be a candidate, as well as many other people who are ready to vote when we reach Zurich.

“Today’s exercise was a CAF exercise. So, let me make the following three things very clear. There are no elections in Kigali today. Your viewers and readers must understand this very well. There are no elections of any sort. No elections took place in Kigali today. What we have seen in Kigali was the assembly of CAF executive committee and they are here to do only one thing in respect of this election and that thing is to make a recommendation. That was all the CAF executive committee has done. To make a recommendation about which candidate they will like to nominate. So, no one is being elected into any position today.

“And I want to congratulate Sheikh Salman Ibn Ebrahim al-Khalifa for having been the choice of the CAF executive committee for the FIFA elections of 26th of this month. That must be understood. There are 54 associations from this continent, many of which will make their own choices. I am a democrat, we all should be. And those associations have got every reason to make their votes. Associations are sent to Kigali, to Johannesburg or to Cairo, associations are sent to FIFA and they will go to Zurich. That’s where the elections will take place.

“We will be going to Zurich as candidates and I will go there as one of the candidates sent by my own association as well as the others and I will be there on the 26th of this month to contest.”

He said he is not angry with CAF over the decision.

“I don’t feel bad about the CAF executive committeee decision by going with Sheikh Salman from Bahrain. Like I said earlier, it is just the CAF executive committee decision and not the 54 associations that make up the continent. I still believe I can win the election come 26th of this month in Zurich,” he said.