Bahrain, Brunei support Prince Ali’s FIFA bid

AMMAN  — Bahrain and Brunei said on Monday they support HRH Prince Ali's bid for the FIFA presidency.

At a meeting in Manama with Prince Ali, FIFA vice president for Asia and president of the Jordan Football Association, Bahrain King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa said his country stands with the prince in the May elections, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

King Hamad also commended the "advanced" level of relations between Jordan and Bahrain, calling for building on them in the best interest of the two countries. 

During the meeting, attended by Interior Minister Hussein Majali, Prince Ali conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Abdullah to the Bahraini monarch.

Also in Bahrain, the prince met with Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the brother of Brunei sultan, who also voiced his country’s support for Prince Ali’s presidency bid. 

The two sides also discussed means to enhance Jordan-Brunei relations.

Michael van Praag of the Netherlands, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne and former Portugal forward Luis Figo are also due to challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter at the May 29 FIFA presidential election.

In a statement released earlier this year, Prince Ali said his vision for FIFA reform addresses three primary goals: restoring the football authority’s credibility; serving football, protecting the game and neutralising threats; and developing the game globally.