By Ek Madra
PHNOM PENH, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Cambodia has invited foreign observers to oversee elections for a new soccer president following a threat by world governing body FIFA to expel the country from international competitions.
Soccer chiefs in the impoverished nation said they had asked FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the ASEAN Football Federation to attend the Dec. 9 polls to prove there was no political interference in running the national game.
"We want them to support us to give us legitimacy," Yean Chheang, secretary-general of the Cambodian Football Federation (CFF) told Reuters on Thursday.
"So we have to invite them to see the re-selection process with their own eyes to end all suspicions they have had in the past."
"We need to survive, we have to have support from outside," he added.
FIFA threatened to ban Cambodia from international matches and withdraw its support for the cash-strapped CFF after General Sao Sokha, the national Military Police commander and close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was elected to replace Khek Ravy, a politician from the royalist FUNCINPEC party.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the April election had been "flagrantly violated on the grounds of political interference" and called for Khek Ravy to be reinstated.
Sao Sokha hit back at Blatter, saying he would not bow his head to FIFA and Cambodia did not need its help.
A CFF official said Khek Ravy -- CFF head for eight years -- will be among the 20 candidates contesting the election.
FIFA suspended Iran from "all international activities" on Nov. 22 because of government interference in running the game, just five months after it took part in the World Cup finals and a week after qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.
The ban has been temporarily lifted at the weekend to allow the team to take part in the Asian Games in Doha.
FIFA has also recently expelled Kenya for failing to honour signed agreements.
PHNOM PENH, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Cambodia has invited foreign observers to oversee elections for a new soccer president following a threat by world governing body FIFA to expel the country from international competitions.
Soccer chiefs in the impoverished nation said they had asked FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the ASEAN Football Federation to attend the Dec. 9 polls to prove there was no political interference in running the national game.
"We want them to support us to give us legitimacy," Yean Chheang, secretary-general of the Cambodian Football Federation (CFF) told Reuters on Thursday.
"So we have to invite them to see the re-selection process with their own eyes to end all suspicions they have had in the past."
"We need to survive, we have to have support from outside," he added.
FIFA threatened to ban Cambodia from international matches and withdraw its support for the cash-strapped CFF after General Sao Sokha, the national Military Police commander and close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was elected to replace Khek Ravy, a politician from the royalist FUNCINPEC party.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the April election had been "flagrantly violated on the grounds of political interference" and called for Khek Ravy to be reinstated.
Sao Sokha hit back at Blatter, saying he would not bow his head to FIFA and Cambodia did not need its help.
A CFF official said Khek Ravy -- CFF head for eight years -- will be among the 20 candidates contesting the election.
FIFA suspended Iran from "all international activities" on Nov. 22 because of government interference in running the game, just five months after it took part in the World Cup finals and a week after qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.
The ban has been temporarily lifted at the weekend to allow the team to take part in the Asian Games in Doha.
FIFA has also recently expelled Kenya for failing to honour signed agreements.
1 comment:
In Cambodia, the Secretary General of a federation, association or institution is usually more powerful than the President or Director. If they don't have the right political affiliation then they will be just a figure head.
FIFA and other international soccer bodies will need to study the entire structure of this federation to determine if there are any political players working there. Don't be surprised if most senior officials there are found to be members of the ruling party.
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