The Asian Football Confederation voted Thursday in favor of abolishing term limits imposed on the president and its senior officials, allowing them to hold office for an unlimited period and repealing reforms introduced after scandals that rocked FIFA a decade ago.
During its General Assembly held in Bangkok, the Asian Confederation decided to abolish the rules restricting the terms of the president and members of its executive office to a maximum of three terms of four years.
This cancellation paves the way for the president of the federation, Bahraini Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (58 years old), who is currently running for his third term, for re-election in 2027.
Bin Ibrahim said in a statement that the amendments are “a clear indication of our intention to ensure that we remain a model federation that continues to adhere to the highest ethical standards and best governance practices for future generations in our great game.”
Among the 47 members of the Asian Confederation, Australia and Jordan opposed the amendment to the law proposed by Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The AFC said in a statement that it is “committed to good governance, transparency and integrity in its operations.”
In 2013, Bin Ibrahim was elected president to complete the remaining two years of the term of former Qatari President Mohammed bin Hammam, who was suspended for life from engaging in any football activity due to corruption cases.
In 2013, he easily defeated the former president of the UAE Federation, Yousef Al Sarkal, and was re-elected by acclamation in 2015 for a four-year term. It was expected that Emirati Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi and Qatari Saud Al Mohannadi would compete in 2019 before they announced their withdrawal.
It is noteworthy that Ben Ibrahim lost the race for the presidency of the International Federation to Swiss Gianni Infantino on February 26, 2016, with a score of 115-88 votes.
A major bribery scandal that shook the world of football led some continental federations to adopt the principle of limiting the number of terms of office of their officials.
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