Gianni Infantino is facing his first serious challenger for the FIFA presidency after Japanese football chief Kohzo Tashima announced his intention to stand in March's election. Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council and honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), will have the backing of his national association and is expected to secure the five endorsements required to become an official candidate. UEFA is working to prevent Infantino from securing another term and is expected to overwhelmingly back Tashima if he emerges as the incumbent's only challenger.
In that scenario, the Japanese could also attract support from anti-Infantino factions within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF. The AFC's position remains significant, with president Sheikh Salman having performed a U-turn to back Infantino at the confederation's Congress two weeks ago. FIFA's 211 member associations will vote in the election, with a candidate requiring at least 106 votes to win.
The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to stand is November 18. Tashima is a former Japan international who went on to coach the country's Under-17 and Under-20 national teams before moving into football administration. He has held several senior positions within the JFA, including general secretary, vice-president and president, and has also served on the AFC's executive committee.
"Kozo Tashima certainly gives Gianni Infantino something to worry about. I think Infantino would much prefer to stand unopposed. "Having said that, I'm not sure whether Tashima will get the support he needs to beat Infantino.
"You have to remember how FIFA's presidential election works. FIFA has 211 members, and each national association has one vote. So you need the backing of 106 FAs to win.
"Now, I think Tashima, if he is Infantino's only challenger, will have the overwhelming backing of Europe. He can count on almost all of UEFA's 55 votes. "He'll also pick up some votes in Asia, even though the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), his own confederation, has backed Infantino.
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