DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein has been elected a FIFA vice president, beating incumbent Chung Mong-joon in an election by the Asian Football Confederation.
Prince Ali won the vote 25-20 at a gathering of the 45-nation AFC on Thursday. The result means the power of soccer has been further consolidated in the Middle East following Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup. It also likely ends Chung’s ambition of possibly challenging Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in June.
Blatter attended the congress in Doha ahead of the Asian Cup, which opens Friday, and called on delegates to support his candidacy.
Ali successfully sought to unify Arab support behind his bid, arguing that he would unify Asia and bring fresh energy to the post.
