Football: Zhang out of presidential race

Zhang's decision leaves four candidates in the running for the Asian Football Confederation presidency.

BEIJING:

China’s Zhang Jilong, the acting head of Asian football, will not run for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) presidency in its upcoming election, local media reported yesterday.

The AFC, which has 47 member associations, has been without a permanent president since Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned for life by Fifa for corruption and bribery.

“I have made this decision totally out of my own will and that is a fact,” Zhang, who has held the acting role since May 2011, told Chinese government news agency Xinhua. The AFC could not be reached for comment. Zhang’s decision is likely to leave four candidates in the running for the top Asian soccer post.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2013.