Kozo Tashima seeks endorsements for FIFA presidential challenge

Kozo Tashima is seeking the five member-association endorsements needed to challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, telling BBC Sport he has received positive responses since announcing his intention to stand. The 68-year-old honorary president of the Japan Football Association wants to contest the election in Morocco in March, but must first secure the required backing.

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Tashima, who also sits on the FIFA Council, told the broadcaster that improving governance would be central to his campaign. He said football should demonstrate fairness, integrity and co-operation, and argued that FIFA needed to review its systems. He also identified making the game accessible to everyone as a priority, presenting those principles as the basis for the changes he would seek if elected.

The former footballer acknowledged the difficulty of taking on Infantino, who has led FIFA for a decade. Tashima described having limited financial resources and recognised the incumbent's substantial support, while maintaining that he hoped to win. Infantino told BBC Sport last month that he believed he had the support of an overwhelming majority of world football. Neither that assessment nor Tashima's account of encouraging replies establishes the outcome of the endorsement process or election.

According to BBC Sport, Tashima's decision to run follows his dissatisfaction with recent FIFA decisions, including the cancellation of United States forward Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension and an abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Tashima questioned the handling of the disciplinary episode and said he believed important questions remained unanswered. He cited more than two decades of experience across Japanese, Asian and world football administration as preparation for pursuing reform.

Another prospective contender is former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega, who announced his intention to stand last month. Vega told BBC Sport he had obtained more than five endorsements but did not identify the associations concerned. The broadcaster reported that three previous attempts by Vega to enter the presidential race had failed because he could not obtain the necessary backing.

Candidates must also demonstrate an active role in football for two of the preceding five years. Vega has said his status as a club shareholder makes him confident he meets that condition. For Tashima, securing the five required endorsements remains the immediate step before his proposed challenge can advance.