Nigeria’s Ibrahim Galadima is one of six eminent persons contesting for two seats on the all-powerful FIFA Executive Committee at the 33rd Ordinary Congress of the Confederation of African Football in Khartoum, Sudan on Wednesday.

The 59 –year old, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation and one of the most respected football personalities in the land, is considered a strong candidate among the 53 National Associations that will vote for the vacant seats.

Galadima

A powerful Nigerian delegation and campaign team led by Honourable

Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has worked hard to woo other federations to vote Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, who is well known to the rank_and_file after spending four years at the helm of Nigeria football between 2002 and 2006.

Also vying for the two available slots are the President of the Ivorian Football Federation, Mr. Jacques Anouma, who has been holding one of the seats for the past four years, as well as Algerian FA boss Mohamed Raouraoua, Zambian FA President Kalusha Bwalya and Seychelles chieftain Suketu Patel.

South Africa’s Danny Jordaan, chief organizer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals staged by his country, is considered as a front_runner in the race for the two persons to join CAF President Issa Hayatou and Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida as Africa’s contribution to the 24_man panel that runs world football.

Pundits believe Galadima stands a good chance of making it to the FIFA panel, on which was his compatriot, Dr. Amos Adamu, whose tenure has ran out and who is ineligible to contest after losing his case with the FIFA Appeal Committee over vote_for_sale allegations.

There will also be elections into the CAF Executive Committee, with Ghanaian FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi the front_man for the Zone West B following the withdrawal of former Niger FA President Hima Souley and ex_Togo FA boss Tata Avlessi.

FIFA Executive Member Hani Abou Rida also has to renew his CAF mandate as he has to contest against Tarek Boucharmaoui of Tunisia for the Northern Zone. In Zone West A, Guinea’s Almamy Kabele Camara, the occupier, is unopposed.

In the Zone West B, Nyantakyi, who has had rave reviews over his great work with Ghanaian football in the past five years, locks horns with Benin FA chairman, Anjorin Moucharaf for the seat occupied by Togo’s General Seyi Memene, now ineligible as a result of age.

In the Central zone, Thierry Kamach of the Central African Republic is to be replaced by Omari Constant of Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Central East, occupier Celestin Musabyimana of Rwanda is challenged by former Taifa Stars captain and President of Tanzania FA, Leodegar Tenga.

The Southern zone is clustered with six persons vying for only one seat, left vacant by South Africa’s Molefi Oliphant, a former CAF Vice President. They are Danny Jordaan (South Africa), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Adam Mthethwa (Swaziland), John Muinjo (Namibia), Justino Fernandes (Angola) and Walter Nyamilandu (Malawi).

There will also be elections of 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents of CAF, with the retirements of General Memene and Mr. Oliphant.