Africa will be choosing its representatives for the FIFA Council positions and already battle lines have been drawn for all the slots available.

Big hitters will be pitted against each other as they try to win the vote to have some measure of influence at the world’s governing body.

The Arab/Luso-Spanish speaking region has strong contendors in the shape of Hany Abo Rida the former Egyptian FA President who faces competition from current president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa. Others who are vying for the post are Gustavo Ndong Edu from Equatorial Guinea and Kheireddine Zetchi, an Algerian businessman, former football player and the current president of the Algerian Football Federation.

The English speaking group equally has some big names thrown into the hat. We have the Nigerian Football Federation President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, FKF President Nick Mwendwa, the Zambian FA President Andrew Kamanga, and Walter Nyamilandu a Malawian sports administrator and former player who played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.

He is currently the President of the Football Association of Malawi since 2004. Also going for this slot is Tanzania FA President Wallace Karia and Lamin Kaba Bajo, a former Gambian politician and diplomat who is the current president of the Gambia Football Federation, having been elected in September 2014.

The French speaking region sees the likes of Constant Omari Sélémani, a Congolese football administrator and a member of the FIFA Council come up against the Malian FA President Mamoutou Touré, Mathurin De Chacus a football administrator from Benin and Togoles FA President Gbèzondé Kossi Akpovi.

In the Women’s position we have two ladies of substance, Isha Johansen the Sierra Leone FA President will be contesting against the current representative from the FIFA Council, Lydia Nsekera. Johansen will be hoping to unseat Nsekera who also once served as Burundi FA President from 2004 until 2013.

The battle lines have been drawn. Who will win?

FIFA positions for CAF elections 2021

Arab/Luso-Spanish speaking group

1. Hany Abo Rida
2. Gustavo Ndong Edu
3. Khireddine Zetchi
4. Fouzi Lekjaa

English-Speaking group

1. Lamin Kaba Bajo
2. Nicholas Mwendwa
3. Walter Nyamilandu
4. Wallace Karia
5. Amaju Melvin Pinnick
6. Kamanga Ndanga Andrew

French speaking group

1. Constant Omari Sélémani
2. Mathurin De Chacus
3. Gbèzondé Kossi Akpovi
4. Mamoutou Touré

Women position

1. Lydia Nsekera
2. Isha Johansen

Soka25east.com