NEW DELHI: Asia's football chief has won unanimous backing from his executive committee as the man to "rebuild FIFA" as he strengthens his campaign to take over the corruption-tarnished world body.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee also pledged to lobby its members to support president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, in a meeting ahead of Sunday's AFC awards.
The Bahraini royal will appear before hundreds of delegates at the awards show in New Delhi after emerging as a leading candidate for the February 26 FIFA presidential vote.
"The (exco) meeting expressed their utmost confidence in Sheikh Salman's ability to restore FIFA's credibility," said an AFC statement from the Indian capital.
"They added that Sheikh Salman has demonstrated his leadership qualities since taking over as AFC president and it was crucial to elect Sheikh Salman as he was 'someone who could rebuild FIFA and make FIFA better in the future'."
Sheikh Salman's odds have narrowed after UEFA president Michel Platini was suspended over a suspect $2 million payment. Platini's lawyer says FIFA's ethics committee is seeking a life ban.
As head of one of FIFA's biggest confederations, and with the backing of powerful Kuwaiti FIFA exco member Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, Sheikh Salman is among the strongest of the five current candidates.
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