Kozo Tashima says he will challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency

Kozo Tashima, an honorary president of the Japan Football Association and a member of Fifa’s Council, says he will challenge Gianni Infantino for the Fifa presidency, but must first secure endorsements from five member associations to qualify for the March election in Morocco.

Tashima told BBC Sport he had received “good replies” from associations he had approached and was confident he could meet the requirement. He said he hoped to win, while acknowledging: “It is not easy.”

The 68-year-old said he was motivated by what he sees as unanswered questions over Infantino’s recent decisions, including the handling of a red-card ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun and a since-abandoned proposal to sell private investors stakes in the World Cup. Tashima said he wanted to review Fifa’s system and improve its governance.

“I know [Infantino] has a lot of supporters,” he said. “Now I am alone and my budget is not enough but it is OK. My policy, my philosophy, I have to fight against him with my samurai spirit.”

Infantino, who has led Fifa for a decade, said last month that he had the backing of the “vast, vast majority” of world football. His support from the Asian Football Confederation has also been publicly endorsed by its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, following earlier criticism over the abandoned investment plan.

Tashima is not the only person seeking to challenge Infantino. Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega has also announced his intention to stand, saying he has more than five endorsements, but has not named the associations. Vega has tried to run for the presidency three times before and failed to secure the required support.

Candidates must also show they have played an active role in football for two of the past five years. Vega says he is eligible through his shareholding in a club. Tashima said his experience in Japanese and Asian football, as well as at Fifa, would help him bring “good change” if elected.