The Sunday News
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Football Association president Philip Chiyangwa last week met Fifa presidential candidate, Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Hussein in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as the race for the world football governing body’s leadership gathers momentum. Chiyangwa met Hussein in Dubai where he had travelled on other football related business.
The Zifa boss yesterday disclosed that he has now met all the five Fifa presidential candidates ahead of the polls to be conducted in Zurich, Switzerland on 26 February. The others who are vying for the powerful post of Fifa president are Sheikh Salman, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale, a former South Africa Cabinet Minister.
“He is a candidate, I am a voter. I was travelling on other football related business in Dubai and that is where I met him. For now I cannot definitely say who Zimbabwe is voting for,’’ said Chiyangwa.
However, the 54-member Confederation of African Football announced after their meeting in Rwanda last Friday that they were throwing their weight behind one of the candidates, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman. This is seen as a heavy blow for South African Sexwale, a development that saw the South African football association ask the politician to withdraw from the race as he did not have their support.
Chiyangwa, however, said Caf could not tell its members who to vote for.
“When it comes to voting, the true state of those who is voted will be shown by the votes themselves. As things stand people are still campaigning. Caf cannot tell us who we can vote for, you can’t say Africa as a whole is backing a certain candidate, you vote for who you want. I have met all the five candidates now, I now have to decide,’’ said Chiyangwa.
On his visit to UAE, Chiyangwa said there was a possibility of Zimbabwe playing host to the Afro-Asia Cup later on this year with an announcement expected from Zifa soon.
“Chances are high of us playing in the Afro-Asia Cup here in Zimbabwe; we will announce that soon,’’ Chiyangwa said.
