Asian football endorses Infantino’s re-election in a U-turn

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced in Tokyo that the AFC would back Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president. The AFC has 47 members, and support from most could help secure Infantino a fourth mandate, although not all members may follow the endorsement. The election is in March, with a November 18 deadline for candidates to file against him; no challenger has filed so far. Sheikh Salman’s announcement marks a sudden reversal after he had previously held back his support.