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Seven candidates vie for Asia's spots on FIFA's executive committee

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Seven candidates are competing for three vacant Asia seats on FIFA's executive committee.

The Asian Football Confederation confirmed the candidates Wednesday, including Olympic power broker Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait, Chung Mong-Gyu of South Korea, whose family owns World Cup sponsor Hyundai, and long-time incumbent Worawi Makudi of Thailand.

AFC president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa will be re-elected unopposed, and assume Asia's FIFA vice presidency, at the April 30 elections in his native Bahrain.

The other seats complete Asia's quota among 25 elected places on FIFA's ruling board chaired by president Sepp Blatter. Two have four-year mandates, and the third completes two years left of Sheikh Salman's ordinary FIFA seat.

The other candidates are: Tengku Abdullah, Malaysia; Kohzo Tashima, Japan; Saoud Al Mohannadi, Qatar; and Khalid Al Busaidi, Oman.

The CONCACAF region has also confirmed its slate for FIFA elections.

CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb is unopposed for re-election in his native Cayman Islands on April 16. Webb will retain his FIFA vice presidency through 2019.

For the FIFA board seat representing Central America, incumbent Rafael Salguero of Guatemala faces a challenge from Eduardo Li of Costa Rica.

CONCACAF's third FIFA seat, representing North America, is held by U.S. Soccer Federation leader Sunil Gulati through 2017.

Winners of all FIFA seats are formally confirmed at the governing body's congress of 209 member federations, held May 29 in Zurich. That congress will also elect the FIFA president.

Blatter is seeking to extend his 17-year reign against three declared candidates: Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Michael van Praag of the Netherlands and Luis Figo of Portugal.

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