Japan's Tashima launches bid to unseat Fifa's Infantino

Kozo Tashima wants Gianni Infantino's job. The Japan Football Association's honorary president has declared he will stand in March's Fifa presidential election, making him the second candidate to throw a hat in the ring before the 18 November deadline.

Ramon Vega, the former Tottenham defender, got there first — but it's still unclear whether he can round up the five nominations from Fifa's 211 member associations needed to actually get on the ballot in Rabat. Tashima won't have that problem. The widely respected Japanese football figure is understood to have acted with the blessing of Uefa, which has led the charge against Infantino since his failed attempt to sell off a 20% stake in Fifa's commercial rights this summer.

Tashima, a former Japan international, has deep ties across Europe and held talks with Uefa officials at last month's Asian Football Confederation congress in Tokyo. He framed his run as a question of values, not victory. “I am grateful that I can make this announcement with the full support of the Japan Football Association,” he told the Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon. “It's not about winning or losing but about conveying to the world the honest, sound and upright attitude that Japanese football has built. What Fifa needs now are these values that we have protected.”

His timing lands right after an awkward turn in Tokyo. The AFC congress wrapped with its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, publicly endorsing Infantino — a major U-turn from the man who once joined Uefa and Concacaf in trying to depose him. Tashima could now split the AFC vote, while counting on support from Europe and Concacaf. Other candidates could still emerge.

Uefa has spent months hunting for someone to take on Infantino, and may have decided a non-European challenger lands harder, given lingering resentment over its perceived dominance of the sport. But Infantino isn't sweating. He has backing from AFC heavyweights including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, plus Africa and South America, and is expected to canter to the 106 votes needed for a fourth term.