ACTUALITE |
08.04.2002
Blatter confident of African support in FIFA election
By MARK GLEESON, Reuters
MASERU
- FIFA president Sepp Blatter is confident of winning a good proportion of votes from African countries when he stands for re-election next month against the head of African football Issa Hayatou.
Blatter, in Lesotho as part of a five-day tour of nine southern African countries, said on Sunday he "had a good feeling" about support he was hoping to receive at the FIFA election in Seoul on May 29.
Blatter is the first sitting FIFA president to be challenged in 28 years with Hayatou, the Cameroonian president of the Confederation of African Football, announcing his bid last month.
"I think I have a good feeling especially in this region and also in west Africa where I was two weeks ago. They think I have done a good job.
"My competitor is an African but he still has to show what he has done so far," Blatter told Reuters.
"It is easy to jump on the train now but it was not so easy to start the projects that we did 27 years ago."
Blatter, formerly the general secretary of FIFA, opened new headquarters for soccer associations in Zambia and Lesotho over the weekend.
The projects were financed by FIFA`s Goal project, which grants financial aid for infrastructure to the poorer countries of the soccer world.
VARIOUS PROGRAMMES
Hayatou has already said he would keep FIFA`s various assistance programs going if he was to be elected as president.
Blatter said: "Africa is free to vote for who they like but if you think back on what I have done for Africa, then I`m sure I`ll get substantial support."
Blatter cited his backing for South Africa`s World Cup bid in 2006 and the implementation of the principle of rotation of the hosting of the World Cup finals, which has been promised to Africa in 2010.
"I invite them to vote for me because then they are sure that the work I have started will be completed."
The FIFA president has already received public pledges of support from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
He has visited the continent twice in the last month while Hayatou has also been touring various African nations as part of his election campaign.
Four years ago, African countries failed to heed a call from Hayatou when CAF promised a bloc vote to UEFA president Lennart Johannsson in his bid for the FIFA presidency.
Many voted instead for Blatter at the FIFA Congress in Paris in a major embarrassment for African soccer leadership.
Blatter is under pressure ahead of the election over allegations of financial mismanagement at FIFA and vote-rigging by his supporters ahead of his 1998 election - allegations he denies.
FIFA`s financial position, following the collapse of its marketing partner ISL-ISMM last year, has been the cause of much controversy and Blatter has called an extraordinary FIFA Congress which will take place the day before the election.
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