Tokyo Sexwale, South African Businessman, Declares Candidacy for FIFA Presidency
A fifth nominee has declared his intention to become the next president of FIFA. South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale has submitted his name in a bid to take over world football's disgraced governing body.
He has now been accepted by the South African Football Association, according to SABC Sport Info Hub (h/t BBC Sport).
The 62-year-old's confirmed nomination has come less than two days prior to Monday's deadline for candidacy. The election will take place in February.
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Sexwale joins a list of would-be presidents, including current UEFA honcho Michel Platini. The latter's presence on the ballot only adds to the controversy surrounding this election.
Platini recently joined former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke in suspension exile amid charges of corruption. It's just one more sad chapter in FIFA's descent from leading global sporting organisation to a disgraced entity—one associated with criminality.
That's the perception Sexwale and every prospective candidate is fighting to overcome. He is described as a former "apartheid-era political prisoner turned multimillionaire mining tycoon," by an Associated Press report (h/t the Guardian). He is said to be worth around £130 million.
Repairing FIFA's damaged reputation and restoring its credibility represents a daunting challenge for whoever wins the nomination.
