AFC Opens Probe Into Jordan Chief Over Infantino Remarks
Prince Ali bin Hussein says his team will cooperate with the review following his claim that FIFA President Gianni Infantino hijacked the Tokyo congress.
By Grace Almasi ·
The Asian Football Confederation has opened a judicial review into comments made by Prince Ali bin Hussein, the head of the Jordan Football Association. This action follows a dispute over the recent extraordinary congress in Tokyo.
Prince Ali stated that his organization will fully cooperate with the AFC's internal bodies. He said the review is the proper venue for addressing the concerns he raised about the voting process.
The conflict began when AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa used the Tokyo session to endorse Gianni Infantino for re-election. Prince Ali argued that the final day of the event was dominated by politics directed by the FIFA President. He claimed delegates were blocked from speaking or debating key issues.
The AFC countered this view in a statement issued on Tuesday. The confederation said no member association, including Jordan, had formally requested to speak during the sessions. It noted that while allegations of coercion or bribery are serious, they require credible evidence. The group confirmed it would refer Prince Ali's specific remarks to its judicial panel.
Late Wednesday, Prince Ali posted on X to clarify his position. He said his earlier words were meant to ensure transparency in football governance rather than to make direct accusations. He described his final sentence as a statement of shared principle. He added that the Jordanian association would vote independently in the upcoming FIFA presidential election.
Prince Ali indicated he would stop making public comments while the panel reviews the matter. He maintained that no election should be subject to threats or bribery, a principle he said is shared across the sport.
The review comes as Infantino seeks to keep his position in a vote scheduled for March. He has served as FIFA president since 2016. The AFC's recent endorsement marks a sharp change from its stance three months ago, when it accused FIFA of breaching trust over an abandoned proposal to sell competition stakes.
Source: Al Jazeera
