Praful Patel, President, All India Football Federation (Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Senior Vice President Praful Patel has promised a comprehensive review of the allegations of regulation breaches as a commitment to the AFC’s drive for ever-improved integrity throughout the sport in Asia.
Patel, who has been asked by AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to oversee issues in West Asia to avoid any potential conflict of interest and demonstrate model governance, said that the AFC will now gather all relevant reports.
The Match Commissioners, the Member Associations, AFC staff and commercial partners and agents will be asked to submit accounts of alleged breaches of regulations at all the FIFA World Cup 2018 Asian Final Round Qualifying matches. The AFC will assist world governing body FIFA with the process.
Patel said: “It is vital to the reputation of the AFC that it continues to uphold the highest standard of integrity as laid out in the AFC’s Vision and Mission objectives. They state clearly that the AFC will ensure its competitions, matches and the conduct of its people conform to the highest ethical and sporting standards.
“Integrity stretches beyond the action on the field to also protecting the rights of our broadcast and commercial partners, and enforcing the AFC rules and regulations which govern matches played under its jurisdiction.
“I have been asked by the President to adjudicate in these matters which affect the West Asia Zone during the present challenging times and I will carry out those duties by ensuring this is a most comprehensive investigation.”
(Asian Football Confederation)