Faisal retains AFC ExCo seat

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) president Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat retained his seat in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Executive Committee and opted to withdraw in favour of his Indian counterpart Praful Patel who got elected unopposed as vice-president for the South Asian Region in the AFC Congress held in Manama on Thursday.
As had already been confirmed, the Congress re-elected Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa as the AFC president unopposed for the next four-year tenure until 2019.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Patel was hot favourite for the South Asian Region’s vice-president position.
His election gave India a significant representation in the AFC.
Patel thanked all Member Associations for trusting him for the position. “First of all I need to thank all for finding me competent enough. Indian football is undergoing a transition and it feels nice that our development progress has rung bells all over the continent. I take this as a complement for Indian football,” Patel said.
“This is a huge responsibility. I would not only be representing my own country but the entire SAFF Region. I stay confident of receiving support from all stakeholders for rapid progress of football in the region,” he added.
A PFF official said that it was a great honour for Pakistan that its member got re-elected as a member of the AFC Executive Committee. “It’s a great honour for the country that Faisal got re-elected as member of the AFC Executive Committee. It will help Pakistan a lot in future,” PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi told ‘The News’ from Manama after the high-profile meeting which was also attended by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Pakistan’s former assistant coach Nasir Ismail said Faisal should have contested the election for the AFC vice-president post against Patel.
“Faisal always said that if we lost any game against other teams it did not matter but we should at least beat India. If he himself surrenders against his Indian counterpart then how will his teams be motivated,” Nasir asked.
Some media reports quoting Sardar Naveed Haider, a member of Pakistan’s delegation, said that Faisal’s decision to step down from the race of the vice-president post gave Pakistan a handful of football series.
Naved reportedly said that Patel had promised Pakistan that three of their players would be adjusted in the Indian Super League (ISL) next season.
But Lodhi said nothing like that had happended. “The sole agenda of the AFC Congress meeting was election and there was no time for such deals. I don’t know if Naved has talked to anyone in personal capacity. I will not make any comment on it,” Lodhi said.
When asked why the PFF took so many people there, Lodhi said there was no harm in taking them as they were the guests of Bahrain Football Association (BFA) and their expenses were met by the hosts.
AFC president Shaikh Salman said after being re-elected: “I am humbled and honoured to stand unopposed for the position of AFC President and FIFA Vice-President. I take this as a sign of your satisfaction with the work that I have done so far and your trust in me to lead this unique Confederation.”
FIFA ExCo member (1 position; 2013-2017): Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah (Kuwait; Zone: West).
FIFA ExCo members (two positions; 2015-2019): Kohzo Tashima (Japan; Zone: East), Prince Abdullah Al-Haj Ahmad Shah (Malaysia; Zone: ASEAN).
AFC Vice Presidents (five positions): Winston Lee Boon Aun (Singapore; ASEAN); Zhang Jilong (China; East), Ali Kafashian Naeini (Iran; Central), Saoud A Aziz Al Mohannadi (Qatar; West), Praful Patel (India; South).
AFC ExCo Female Members (five positions): Moya Dodd (Australia; ASEAN), Han Un Gyong (DPR Korea; East), Zohra Mehri (Afghanistan; Central), Susan R A Shalabi (Palestine; West), Mahfuza Akhter (Bangladesh; South).
AFC ExCo members (11 positions): Mariano V Araneta Jr (Philippines; ASEAN), Viphet Sihachakr (Laos: ASEAN), Francisco Kalbuadi Lay (Timor Leste; ASEAN), Richard King Lai (Guam; East), Mong Gyu Chung (Korea Republic; East), Sardor Rakhmatullaev (Uzbekistan; Central), Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithi (UAE; West), Ahmed Eid S Al Harbi (Saudi Arabia; West); Hachem Sayed Ali Haidar (Lebanon; West), Faisal Saleh Hayat (Pakistan; South), Mohamed Shaweed (Maldives; South).