Who is Kozo Tashima, the Japanese official running for FIFA presidency?

Kozo Tashima, 68, who led the Japan Football Association from 2016 to 2024, has announced a bid for FIFA president against Gianni Infantino ahead of the election in March. A former player and coach, he has devoted his career to developing football in Japan after discovering the sport during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Tashima says he wants to defend sport’s integrity and believes Infantino should not remain in office without an election. Born in Kumamoto, he also studied at the German Sport University Cologne.