Japanese FA honorary president Kozo Tashima enters FIFA race against Infantino

Gianni Infantino’s expected unopposed continuation as FIFA president has been disrupted after Japanese FIFA Council member Kozo Tashima confirmed his intention to stand against him in the upcoming election.

Sky Sports reported that Tashima’s decision represents the first serious challenge to Infantino’s position after several months in which the Swiss appeared to be on course to retain the presidency without opposition.

Infantino had been subject to months of scrutiny and extensive examination, but the indications had continued to point towards an uncontested victory. Tashima’s entry into the contest has now changed the picture and introduced an unexpected rival into the race.

Tashima is not an outsider to football’s governing structures. He is a serving member of the FIFA Council and also holds the position of honorary president of the Japan Football Association. Those roles give him significant standing both within Asia and on the international stage.

Candidates seeking to challenge Infantino must secure the backing of at least five football associations from different parts of the world. Tashima is expected to have little difficulty meeting that requirement.

As honorary president of the Japan Football Association, he is assured of support from his own country. His position on the FIFA Council and his extensive network of relationships are also expected to help him obtain the four additional nominations required to enter the election.

The development brings an apparent end to the period in which Infantino seemed to have a clear route to remaining at the head of world football without a rival. Tashima’s decision has instead created a contest involving the current FIFA president and a candidate with established links to the organisation and the Asian football community.

The FIFA presidential election will take place in Morocco in March next year. Attention will now turn to the campaign between Infantino and Tashima, after the Japanese official chose to challenge the Swiss president’s continued dominance of the governing body.

Tashima’s candidacy is therefore set to be tested against Infantino’s previously strong position, with the election now expected to be contested rather than decided by an unopposed vote.