Infantino facing surprise Fifa election challenge from Japanese FA chief

Japanese Football Association chief Kozo Tashima has entered the race to challenge incumbent Fifa president Gianni Infantino in the upcoming election. Tashima, a member of the Fifa Council for over a decade, is the first rival candidate to receive official support from his own FA. Election hopefuls need endorsement from at least five FAs, with the deadline for declaring candidacy set for November 17.

Tashima expressed gratitude for the JFA's support, emphasizing his commitment to upholding the values of honesty, soundness, and uprightness in Japanese football. He aims to convey this message to the world as he seeks the presidency. Tashima's career includes playing and coaching roles before transitioning to administration, where he served as vice-president of the JFA and a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee.

He joined the Fifa Council in 2015 and later became president of the JFA and the East Asian Football Federation. Infantino had initially planned to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors but withdrew the proposal and apologized for sidelining the Fifa Council. Despite securing support from African, South American, Caribbean, and Arabic voting blocs, Infantino remains opposed by the majority of European and North American FAs.

Uefa, the European governing body, had been expected to present a challenger but has yet to do so. Former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega announced his candidacy, but lacks the necessary five endorsements. Asia has become a crucial battleground, with its confederation's shift in support drawing criticism from Jordanian chief Prince Ali bin Hussein.

Former Fifa governance chief claimed that Infantino's bid for a fourth term would likely face a challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.