Jordan FA chief says AFC Congress ‘pure politics’ at behest of Infantino

Prince Ali bin Hussein said cipher was allowed to speak, question, statement oregon speech with the media astatine the AFC Congress.

The caput of Jordan’s Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for governmental purposes up of his re-election bid for a 4th term.

At the AFC’s bonzer legislature successful Tokyo connected Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election arsenic FIFA president.

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Months aft the confederation accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” implicit the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the legislature that Asia was present agreed down Infantino.

But JFA’s Prince Ali, who has been a vocal professional of FIFA’s leadership, painted a starkly antithetic representation of events successful Tokyo.

“Having travel backmost from Tokyo wherever the AFC Congress took place, the archetypal 2 days were astir football, which we each serve. The past time was axenic authorities astatine the behest of Gianni Infantino,” Prince Ali wrote connected X.

“There were reports that Asia has a agreed presumption erstwhile it comes to electing the adjacent FIFA President. In fact, cipher was allowed to speak, question, statement oregon speech with the media.

“Lack of transparency leads to deficiency of accountability. No magnitude of coercion, threats oregon bribes should beryllium allowed.”

Prince Ali did not elaborate connected his statement.

Al Jazeera reached retired to FIFA and the AFC for a remark but had not received a effect astatine the clip of publication.

Infantino besides addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for different term.

In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack connected Infantino, accusing him of “blackmail” and saying FIFA had offered to assistance lick the kingdom’s problems successful speech for his endorsement.

Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan’s players and unit had received outstanding reward wealth for their information successful the 2025 Arab Cup.

The relation had been waiting since December for prize wealth for reaching the Arab Cup last successful Qatar.

On Saturday, Infantino laughed disconnected questions astir whether helium had considered resigning successful the aftermath of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what helium described arsenic overwhelming enactment from subordinate associations astir the globe.

The Swiss-Italian administrator’s re-election prospects were strengthened importantly aft the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe progressively isolated and exposing the deficiency of a challenger.