FIFA’s Infantino made to wait on Asian support as chief coy at AFC session

‘We’re not against anyone and we’re not in favour of anyone,’ says AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Save Share The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) gave no hint about the body’s support — or opposition — to the re-election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president. The votes of the AFC’s 47 members could be critical when Infantino seeks his fourth term as the head of global football’s governing body in an election in March. Infantino faces strong opposition in Europe, and has staunch support in Africa — and Asia could provide the swing votes. Opposition candidates have until November 18 to file. So far, none have “For people who try to divide us, this is not going to happen,” AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Thursday in a brief address to close a two-day session in Tokyo. He gave no indication that the AFC as a body would take a position on Infantino. That differed from just over two months ago, when the AFC joined the football governing bodies in North and Central America and Europe in saying Infantino committed a “fundamental breach of trust”. Recent reports and his short talk on Thursday indicate Sheikh Salman may have moderated his views. Asia appears split. Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, hascome out in support of InfantinowhileJordanhas declared its opposition. “We’re not against anyone and we’re not in favour of anyone,” Sheikh Salman said. “We’re always going to express our feelings and try to do what’s best and what’s right for football. Not just in Asia.” Recent AFC meetings in a five-star hotel in Tokyo were closed to the media. The conference was shown on the football confederation’s YouTube channel, and presentations were orchestrated without reporters present. Infantino seldom speaks with the media. He has been travelling and electioneering in Asia, but did not appear publicly at the seminars in Tokyo. During the week, FIFA’s media office promoted his presence in Bhutan and Bangladesh, which have small federations that each have one vote — the same as powerful football nations such as Spain and France. Infantinoapologised last weekin Zurich to FIFA’s 37-member ruling council — which he chairs — for “mistakes” he made in assembling anow-scrapped$4.2bn selloff planfor the World Cup. An Associated Press tally shows 87 of the 211 federations have indicated support for Infantino, either in individual comments or by endorsing statements of support by their regional confederations......