Nyantakyi looks the favourite for FIFA post as Suketu pulls out of CAF polls

Two persons have withdrawn from today's election to select two representatives for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to serve on the reformed Executive Council of football's world governing body, FIFA.

The two, Suketu Patel, the president of the Seychelles Football Association and first vice president of CAF, as well as Chabur Goc Alei of South Sudan, announced their withdrawal at the CAF executive committee meeting in Cairo.

Suketu's withdrawal is considered a big boost for Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Kwesi Nyantakyi, also a CAF Executive Committee (ExCo) member who is among the six people standing for the election.

Suketu posed the biggest threat to Nyantakyi in the English bloc votes, and his exit means the Anglophone members on the CAF ExCo, who have already thrown their support behind the GFA boss, will have no problem making their choice. 

Voting for only two people, it seems the CAF ExCo members have decided to choose one Anglophone and a Francophone representative to serve on the FIFA committee, though public officials have refused to admit to this voting pattern.

With Suketu and Chabur out, the contest will now be among  Nyantakyi, Almamy Kabele Camara of Guinea, the second vice-president of CAF, Ahmad, the president of the Malagasay Football Association, Hamidoy Djibrilla of Niger and Augustin Senghor of Senegal.