South Sudan supporter of Gianni Infantino runs in FIFA Council vote

South Sudan football federation president Chabur Goc is among seven entries for two vacant FIFA Council seats.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino gestures after a news conference on behalf of their suspended president Michel Platini, following a meeting of UEFA's executive committee at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon

South Sudan was the only African voter to publicly support Gianni Infantino’s election campaign. (Source: Reuters)

The only African voter to publicly support FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s election campaign is competing for a seat on FIFA’s ruling council.

South Sudan football federation president Chabur Goc is among seven entries for two vacant FIFA Council seats in a Sept. 29 election in Cairo, the Confederation for African Football (CAF) said Monday in agenda documents sent to its 54 member federations.

CAF said all candidates are undergoing integrity checks by FIFA to be confirmed as eligible for the seats, which have initial mandates until March.

South Sudan hosted Infantino in February during his campaign, while the CAF leadership was urging its members to vote for Asian football leader Sheikh Salman of Bahrain.

Infantino made South Sudan the first member federation he visited in March as president. He won the election in a second-round vote after taking a two-vote lead over Sheikh Salman in the first poll.

Goc’s six rivals in the African vote next month include four CAF executive committee members aiming to join the recently expanded FIFA Council.

They are: Ahmad (Madagascar), Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea), Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana) and Suketu Patel (Seychelles).

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The other contenders are: Djibrilla Hima Hamidou (Niger) and Augustin Senghor (Senegal).

Africa now has a quota of seven FIFA Council seats among the 36 allocated to FIFA’s six continental confederations.