Kozo Tashima to challenge Gianni Infantino for FIFA presidency

Kozo Tashima has announced he will challenge incumbent FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the upcoming presidential election, according to Al Jazeera and The New York Times. The BBC and The Guardian also reported that the Japanese official will stand for the top position in world football's governing body. [1][2][8][9]

Al Jazeera reported that the 68 year old official will be the first person from Japan to run for the FIFA presidency. Tashima is set to stand against Infantino in the election scheduled for March, Al Jazeera added. Japanese media also reported Tashima's plan to run, according to The Washington Post, Newsday, and Reuters. [1][3][4][11]

Tashima began playing football after watching the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Al Jazeera reported. He has worked as a football player, coach, and administrator. Outside of sports reporting, he was one of the first public figures in Japan to contract coronavirus in March 2020, according to Al Jazeera. [1]

Tashima is a former player for the Japan national team and serves as the president of the East Asian Football Federation. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Infantino has served as president of FIFA since 2016 and faces growing scrutiny over financial filings. [12][16]