Senior Qatari official banned from FIFA Council elections

A senior Qatari football official will not be allowed to stand for election to the FIFA Council the football governing body has confirmed.

The organisation told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that Saoud Al Mohannadi would not be eligible for the newly reformed body because he faces a potential ban for ethics violations.

Voting for Asia’s three places in the the 36-member council is due to be cast tomorrow at an event in Goa, India.

It will replace the 24-member FIFA Executive Committee after key figures in the organisation were banned following the opening of corruption investigations by Swiss and US authorities.

Read: Blatter, Platini suspended from soccer by FIFA’s ethics body

Al Mohannadi, also the vice chairman of the AFC, was considered almost certain to win, according to Doha Stadium Plus, and was due to travel to Goa after actively campaigning in the region.

FIFA shared its decision with the AFC earlier this week, which was made because the offical faces a potential action for ethics violations.

Al Mohannadi allegedly failed to cooperate during an investigation by FIFA’s Ethics Committee and faces a fine and a potential two-year ban.

The football governing body has disclosed little information about the investigation but said it is not related to the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

In Al Mohannadi’s absence the three places will be contested by China’s Zhang Jian, Iran’s Ali Kafashian Naeni, Singapore’s Zainudin Nordin, Australia’s Moya Dodd, Bangladesh’s Mahfuza Ahkter and North Korea’s Han Un Gyong.