KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The Asian Football Confederation has announced that 46 of its 47 member nations will be eligible to vote for the regional football body’s new president at its election in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Yousuf Al Serkal of the United Arab Emirates and Thai Worawi Makudi are standing in Thursday’s vote.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (Reuters) – The Asian Football Confederation has announced that 46 of its 47 member nations will be eligible to vote for the regional soccer body’s new president at its election in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Yousuf Al Serkal of the United Arab Emirates and Thai Worawi Makudi are standing in Thursday’s vote.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Outsider Hafez Al Medlej of Saudi Arabia unsurprisingly withdrew from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) presidential elections on the eve of the vote after failing to win full support of the West Asian region.

Al Medlej was due to stand against Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Yousuf Al Serkal of the United Arab Emirates and Thai Worawi Makudi in Thursday’s vote in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 (Reuters) – Outsider Hafez Al Medlej of Saudi Arabia unsurprisingly withdrew from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) presidential elections on the eve of the vote after failing to win full support of the West Asian region.

Al Medlej was due to stand against Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Yousuf Al Serkal of the United Arab Emirates and Thai Worawi Makudi in Thursday’s vote in Kuala Lumpur.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The Asian Football Confederation heads to the polls on Thursday to finally elect a new leader, but with question marks over the candidates and only a two-year term for the winner, hopes for reform at the crisis-hit body may have to be put on hold.

United Arab Emirates soccer chief Yousuf Al Serkal, Saudi Arabian Hafez Al Medlej, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain are running to succeed disgraced former president Mohamed Bin Hammam, banned from football for life by FIFA for bribery in 2011.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The Asian Football Confederation heads to the polls on Thursday to finally elect a new leader, but with question marks over the candidates and only a two-year term for the winner, hopes for reform at the crisis-hit body may have to be put on hold.

United Arab Emirates football chief Yousuf Al Serkal, Saudi Arabian Hafez Al Medlej, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain are running to succeed disgraced former president Mohamed Bin Hammam, banned from football for life by FIFA for bribery in 2011.

SINGAPORE, April 30 (Reuters) – The Asian Football Confederation heads to the polls on Thursday to finally elect a new leader, but with question marks over the candidates and only a two-year term for the winner, hopes for reform at the crisis-hit body may have to be put on hold.

United Arab Emirates soccer chief Yousuf Al Serkal, Saudi Arabian Hafez Al Medlej, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain are running to succeed disgraced former president Mohamed Bin Hammam, banned from football for life by FIFA for bribery in 2011.

By Patrick Johnston

(Reuters) – Two human rights groups have asked world soccer governing body FIFA to withdraw Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa from the race to become president of Asian football, accusing the Bahraini royal of human rights breaches.

In a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said Sheikh Salman, the head of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), was not fit for the role.

April 27 (Reuters) – Two human rights groups have asked world soccer governing body FIFA to withdraw Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa from the race to become president of Asian football, accusing the Bahraini royal of human rights breaches.

In a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said Sheikh Salman, the head of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), was not fit for the role.

By Patrick Johnston

(Reuters) – Controversial Bahraini Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa looks to have moved ahead in the AFC presidential race after a pivotal week saw the head of the powerful Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) give him public backing.

His closest rival, UAE football head Yousuf Al Serkal, is crying foul at what he perceives as OCA support ahead of the May 2 vote and believes the council is interfering in an election that has opened schisms within west Asian football.