Australia: FIFA could permit Temarii replacement
Reuters - Sunday 28 November 2010, 17:36
ZURICH, Nov 28 (Reuters) - FIFA may allow Oceania to replace
the suspended Reynald Temarii on the executive committee which
will choose the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts on Thursday, one
of the bidding nations said on Sunday.
FIFA itself has not commented on Oceania's request to be
represented on the executive committee but Frank Lowy, head of
Australia's bid for 2022, said he understood the sport's world
ruling body would agree to it.
FIFA's executive committee is currently reduced to 22
members following the suspension of Temarii and Nigeria's Amos
Adamu, who have been banned for one and three years respectively
following an investigation into allegations made by a British
newspaper.
"I hear that maybe there will be 23 voters," Lowy told
Reuters on Sunday. "I haven't had it confirmed, but I hear it
will be 23.
"I can't quite tell you exactly where I heard if from," he
added.
Tahiti's Temarii, president of the Oceania Football
Confederation (OFC), was the region's only representative on the
executive committee until he was suspended from all
football-related activity this month.
FIFA found he had breached general rules of ethics and
loyalty.
Temarii would need to drop an appeal against the punishment
and resign his post before Oceania could replace him, although
there has been no official indication of whether he will do
this.
The OFC met in Auckland on Saturday and said it believed it
had the right a replace Temarii for the remainder of his term.
The OFC's acting president David Chung, from Papua New
Guinea, would be first in line to replace Temarii.
England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are
bidding to host the 2018 World Cup with Japan, South Korea,
Australia, Qatar and United States the candidates for 2022.