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Football: Vote-buying, abuse claims overshadow Asian vote

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 09:31
Asia's troubled football body elects a new leader on Thursday after a bitter campaign dominated by claims and counter-claims of outside interference, and even allegations of rights abuses. Two years after vote-buying accusations prompted the eventual downfall of former president Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is at risk of new controversy as delegates gather to choose his successor.

Football: Vote-buying, abuse claims overshadow Asian vote

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 22:00
Asia's troubled football body elects a new leader on Thursday after a bitter campaign dominated by claim and counter-claim of outside interference, and even allegations of human rights abuses. Two years after vote-buying accusations prompted the eventual downfall of former president Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is at risk of new controversy as delegates gather to choose his successor.

Football: Mariners into Asian knock-outs for first time

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 17:30
Australia's Central Coast Mariners reached the AFC Champions League knock-out phase for the first time in their history on Tuesday despite being thrashed 3-0 by Kashiwa Reysol. Second-half goals from Masato Kudo, Cleo, and Leandro Domingues left the Mariners with their hearts in their mouths but Suwon Bluewings did the Australian side a favour by hanging on for a 2-2 draw with Guizhou Renhe.

Football: Mariners into Asian knock-outs for first time

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 09:26
Australia's Central Coast Mariners reached the AFC Champions League knock-out phase for the first time in their history on Tuesday despite being thrashed 3-0 by Kashiwa Reysol. Second-half goals from Masato Kudo, Cleo, and Leandro Domingues left the Mariners with their hearts in their mouths but Suwon Bluewings did the Australian side a favour by hanging on for a 2-2 draw with Guizhou Renhe.

Football: It's a lottery as clubs scrap for AFC knock-outs

Agence France-PresseApril 29, 2013 03:30
Asian football officials may be forced to tally yellow and red cards or even hold a special lottery to decide the last 16 as an ultra-competitive AFC Champions League group phase goes down to the wire. With eight knock-out berths still available, 16 teams are in the running, setting up a mad dash for the line in the final group games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thai targets poor with AFC spending pledges

April 25, 2013 08:45
By Sudipto Ganguly (Reuters) - Thai Worawi Makudi is confident the "dissenting voices" in his Southeast Asian region will support his bid to become the next Asian Football Confederation president after revealing a manifesto aimed at helping the impoverished. The controversial Thailand FA chief says he will improve standards right across the 47-member confederation by changing how the AFC spends their money should he win the May 2 presidential vote.

I'm favourite for AFC top job - Bahraini

April 16, 2013 16:00
By Alan Baldwin MANAMA (Reuters) - The head of football in Bahrain declared himself favourite to become the next Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president but ducked questions on Tuesday about the arrest of players in his country during a bloody 2011 uprising. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who is also standing for election to world body FIFA's powerful executive committee, told Reuters in an interview in his plush Manama office that he was confident the May 2 vote in Kuala Lumpur would go his way.

Bahraini says he is favourite for AFC top job

April 16, 2013 11:45
By Alan Baldwin MANAMA (Reuters) - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president should automatically be on world body FIFA's executive committee instead of having to go through a separate vote, Bahraini football head Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Tuesday. Sheikh Salman is standing for both positions at a May 2 vote in Kuala Lumpur but Hassan al Thawadi, leader of Qatar's winning 2022 World Cup bid, is seeking election only to FIFA's top committee.

Football: Sendai, Buriram rescue Asian campaigns

April 10, 2013 09:45
Japan's Vegalta Sendai and Thai minnows Buriram United rescued their Asian campaigns with upset wins Wednesday, throwing their AFC Champions League group wide open. Sendai beat FC Seoul 1-0, inflicting the first defeat of the competition on the Group E leaders from South Korea and denying them an early berth in the knock-out phase. And Buriram stunned China's Jiangsu Sainty 2-0 as they clawed their way off the bottom to lie on five points, the same number as Sendai and two behind leaders Seoul with two games to go.

Football: Would-be Asian chief in 'whistle-blower' pledge

April 8, 2013 06:31
Would-be Asian football president Yousuf Al Serkal promised to reveal all his allowances and introduce a "whistle-blower" programme to fight corruption as he released his election manifesto on Monday. The UAE football association chief, who is standing in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) leadership election next month, said greater openness and transparency was vital for the regional body. "We are at a time when our stakeholders believe that leaders in the game are only in it for themselves -- this must change," Al Serkal said in a press statement.
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