MONGOMO. — African countries will vote overwhelmingly for Sepp Blatter in this year’s Fifa elections, senior officials said yesterday. “Africa is solidly behind Blatter. You will find he is very popular on the continent,” said Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of the Ghana Football Association and a Confederation of African Football executive committee member.

Blatter faces four challengers in his bid for re-election on May 29, when he seeks a fifth term as president that will take him past his 80th birthday.

Dutch football association (KNVB) President Michael van Praag announced on Monday his intention to run following similar moves by former Fifa deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne and Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan.

Former France international David Ginola is also standing in what is widely regarded as being a publicity stunt.

But Blatter’s prospective opponents are likely to get little support from the 53 African voters.

“The continent is united behind him,” added former South African Football Association president Molefi Oliphant, who still serves on the Caf executive.

“We made a formal endorsement of his candidacy last year at our meeting in Rio de Janeiro already.”

Previous endorsements from Caf, however, have not necessarily translated into votes.

African football’s controlling body promised Lennart Johansson a block of votes in 1998 but member associations took no heed and helped Blatter to victory. In 2002, caf president Issa Hayatou failed to muster significant support from his own continent and lost heavily by 139-56 votes at the fifa Congress in Seoul. Affection for Blatter stems from the generous financial assistance he has given Africa during his 17-year tenure.

“He has done a lot for the continent. It is he who has set up the financial assistance programmes and who through the Goal project has built infrastructure in all of the countries,” added Nyantakyi.

“The Europeans don’t understand that. They say it is not his own money but fifa’s but that’s not the point. He is the one who set up all the assistance programmes that have helped boost African football.”

Goal is Blatter’s pet project, inaugurated not long after he came to power in 1998 that has built training centres, accommodation, pitches and offices for cash-strapped associations.

Under fifa’s Financial Assistance Programme, introduced in 2001, each of the ruling body’s 209 member associations receive generous grants with more than US$1 billion paid out during Blatter’s tenure.

Meanwhile, Dutch Football Association president Michael van Praag is to stand against Blatter for the fifa presidency.

A statement from the Dutch FA confirmed van Praag’s candidacy just a day after Blatter said his critics within uefa “don’t have the courage” to take him on. And, according to the statement, van Praag has the backing of five associations necessary to run in the election.

“Michael van Praag is a candidate to succeed Sepp Blatter as president of fifa,” it read.

“On Tuesday, Praag sends his official candidacy with the required five letters from associations who support his candidacy to fifa headquarters in Zurich.” Van Praag said: “It is well known that I am very worried about fifa. It is high time that the organisation comes back into the real world.

“I had hoped that a credible opponent would emerge, but that’s simply not happened. In that case you cannot just talk but you must also act decisively and take responsibility so there therefore I am announcing my candidacy.” Van Praag is the fifth man to announce his intention to oppose Blatter after Champagne, Prince Ali Bin al Hussein, Ginola and Mino Raiola. Prince Ali, a fifa vice-president, has been called a credible candidate by both Uefa president Michel Platini and FA chairman Greg Dyke, and Sky sources understand Dyke has welcomed van Praag’s decision to stand.

But Champagne this month admitted he may struggle to win the required number of nominations. Tomorrow is the deadline for potential candidates to win the five nominations and officially enter the race. The vote will take place in May. — Reuters.

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