FIFA confirm five candidates for presidential election next year

FIFA on Thursday confirmed five candidates for its presidential election to find a successor to Sepp Blatter, who is under a 90-day suspension, with the election taking place on February 26.

The candidates are:

1. Asian Football Confederation president Sheik Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa,

2. Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan,

3. Former FIFA official Jerome Champagne from France,

4. UEFA's general secretary Gianni Infantino from Switzerland, and

5. Tokyo Sexwale, the former anti-apartheid activist from South Africa.

UEFA president Michel Platini is not one of the confirmed candidates but could still stand for election - unless his ban is lifted.

Liberian FA chief Musa Bility did not pass the necessary integrity checks.

FIFA said in a statement: ''The integrity check included a review of corporate records, litigation cases, bankruptcy proceedings, potential regulatory actions taken against the candidate and a review of media reports concerning potential red flags (fraudulent behaviour, match manipulation, human rights violations, etc.). Each candidate was then asked to comment on the content of the detailed report produced. The ad-hoc electoral committee did not admit the candidature of Musa Hassan Bility, in view of the content of the integrity check report relating to him. For reasons of protection of personality rights, the committee - while it has explained its considerations in detail to Musa Hassan Bility - will not comment publicly on the specifics of its decision.'''

The decision can be appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.