The President of the Liberia Football Association, Musa Bility, has confirmed his decision to run for FIFA presidency.
He has now become the second candidate to emerge, since Sepp Blatter announced on June 2, that he will be stepping down at the world football governing body.
Brazil legend Zico, has already announced his interest in running for the election, which will be held between December 2015 and February 2016.
“Africa is the largest voting bloc in FIFA [with 54 members], and we must take the lead to bring football together,” Bility said in an interview with the BBC.
“If Africa does not put up a candidate, it says a lot about us. It shows a sense of mediocrity, and that our only relevance is to vote and make leaders. I think that is not right.
“We all agree in the world that football is facing a difficult moment, and it is in difficult moments that great leaders emerge”.
The 67-year-old is the first African candidate to contest for FIFA’s top job since Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou lost to Blatter in 2002. Bility has run the Liberian FA since 2010 and was re-elected for a second four-year term in 2014.
“People know me to be bold, upright, outspoken, and highly opinionated,” Bility, who is also president of Liberia’s Srimex oil and gas company, said.
“I say it like it is. When it’s not right, I don’t back down, and that has gained me some respect”.
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