Sports News

Jordan's Prince Ali accuses Infantino of politics; the AFC refers him to its judges

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday it would refer Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein to its judicial bodies, after he accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of hijacking an AFC Congress for political purposes, the South China Morning Post reports.

At the AFC's extraordinary Congress in Tokyo on Friday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino's bid for a fourth term as Fifa president. According to the Reuters report carried by Malaysia's The Star, Prince Ali called the last day of the event “pure politics” and said no one was allowed to speak, question or debate. In August he had accused Infantino of “blackmail”.

“Such serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence and should not be made without a proper factual basis.” — AFC statement, via The Star (Reuters)

The AFC said no member association, including Jordan, had asked to speak, and rejected claims that the proceedings were improper. Both outlets point out the change of tone: only three months earlier, the AFC itself had accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over a plan to sell a stake in Fifa tournaments.

How each outlet framed it

• South China Morning Post — the row as it unfolded over two days: the accusation, then the AFC's response.
• The Star (Reuters) — the AFC's wording on evidence, and Prince Ali's earlier blackmail claim.

What we don't know yet: what the AFC's judicial bodies will decide, and whether any other federation will join Prince Ali before the Fifa election.