Kiwi representative faces flak over abstainment

Auckland, July 7: Oceania football chief Charlie Dempsey, the man who handed the 2006 World Cup to Germany, is to be hauled over the coals...

Auckland, July 7: Oceania football chief Charlie Dempsey, the man who handed the 2006 World Cup to Germany, is to be hauled over the coals after it emerged that he had ignored orders to vote for South Africa.

In rugby-mad New Zealand, where football is derisively known as kiss n kick8217;, Dempsey8217;s decision to abstain in Thursday8217;s crucial final vote at FIFA headquarters in Zurich did not go down well. Sports minister Trevor Mallard described Dempsey, who is due back here Saturday, as an 8220;international embarrassment8221;.

Even Prime Minister Helen Clark stuck the boot in, saying she was upset by the result as she had promised New Zealand8217;s support for the South African bid. Mark Burgess, New Zealand8217;s representative on the Oceania Football Confederation OFC, said the Scots-born Dempsey, 78, had not followed instructions given to him at the Confederation8217;s meeting in Samoa in May.

New Zealand soccer chief executive Bill Macgowan was also adamant Dempsey was told to vote for England first then South Africa. Dempsey faces a meeting of the OFC in Auckland on Sunday when he will be asked to explain why he did not switch his vote to South Africa after England was eliminated in the second round of voting at the Zurich headquarters of soccer8217;s governing body FIFA.

8220;I can8217;t believe he has done this intentionally to shoot himself in the foot back here,8221; Burgess said on Friday.

8220;The vote was a democratic one in Samoa, they still preferred England in the first vote, but on the second the vote was to go to South Africa. There certainly was no discussion on his abstention, that never entered the thinking at all.8221;

8220;He8217;s going to have to explain himself and based on that, I8217;m pretty certain there will be some unhappy island people. He was given the authority to go and cast a vote and he simply hasn8217;t done that, which will upset people.8221;

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MaCgowan said Dempsey8217;s instructions could not have been clearer. 8220;We, through our representative on Oceania, told him he had to vote England one, South Africa two,8221; MaCgowan said. 8220;He8217;s taken everyone by surprise.8221;

Dempsey8217;s decision could see him sacked as early as Sunday from his position at the helm of the OFC, a position he has occupied for 34 years. Australian chairman Basil Scarscella and Fiji8217;s Dr Samshud Din Sahu Khan are the leading candidates to replace him.

OFC general secretary Josephine King, Dempsey8217;s daughter, said he 8220;had his own reasons8221; for ignoring his instructions. By abstaining from the third round vote, Dempsey avoided a tied vote.

Had that happened, FIFA president Sepp Blatter was expected to use his casting vote to ensure Africa hosted the tournament for the first time.