FIFA confirms Blatter, Bin Hammam candidacies

Zurich: World football`s governing body FIFA confirmed the candidacies of incumbent Sepp Blatter and Qatari Mohammed Bin Hammam for the FIFA presidency.

"The FIFA general secretariat received two candidatures for the FIFA Presidency by the statutory deadline... The names of the candidates are: Joseph S. Blatter (Switzerland); Mohamed Bin Hammam (Qatar)," FIFA said in a statement. "The election for the FIFA presidency will be held in Zurich on 1 June 2011 within the framework of the 61st FIFA Congress." Blatter, 75, has served as FIFA president since 1998, while Bin Hammam, 61, is currently president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).Blatter`s image has taken a knock recently after he refused to look into goal-line technology despite a series of refereeing errors at the World Cup. He has now said he expects goal-line technology will be in place by the next World Cup to be held in Brazil in 2014.The awarding of Russia as hosts of the 2018 World Cup, with Qatar to host the 2022 event, has also seen FIFA come in for stinging criticism amidst accusations of corruption. PTI