GENEVA (AP) " China aims to build its growing influence at FIFA by fielding a candidate in Asian elections for new seats on the world soccer body's ruling council that were created during anti-corruption reforms. Among the other Asian candidates, Nordin is president of the Singapore federation and Qatar's Al Mohannadi is making a second bid after failing to win election in April 2015. Because Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup, Asian bidders are excluded from a 2026 race expected to include the United States and Canada. The Chinese soccer federation's general secretary, Zhang Jian, is competing against candidates from Iran, Qatar and Singapore for two vacant FIFA seats in a Sept. 27 vote. FIFA gave its confederations a September deadline to hold elections for female delegates ahead of the next council meeting.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 12, 2016 10:45 UTC