Oceania ask FIFA if they can replace the banned Temarii

Oceania asked FIFA if they can replace for the suspended Reynald Temarii to ensure they are represented when soccer’s world governing body votes to determine the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals hosts.

Wellington: Oceania have asked FIFA if they can appoint a replacement for the suspended Reynald Temarii to ensure they are represented when soccer’s world governing body votes to determine the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals hosts.

FIFA executive committee member Temarii was suspended from all soccer activity for a year earlier this month following an investigation into allegations he offered to sell his vote in the World Cup hosting contest to undercover newspaper reporters. Tahiti’s Temarii was the Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) only representative on FIFA’s 24-man executive committee, whose members will vote on the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals. “The OFC executive committee believes it has the right to appoint a replacement FIFA Vice President for the remainder of the term,” the OFC said after a meeting at their Auckland headquarters on Saturday. “An enquiry has been made to FIFA to seek further clarification on this and no further comment will be made until such time as FIFA has responded.” Temarii and Nigeria’s Amos Adamu were suspended after being caught in the newspaper investigation, reducing the executive committee to 22 members. Adamu was found guilty of bribery. There had been media speculation a new hastily-elected OFC representative could vote on Dec. 2 in Zurich when the executive committee makes the decision, though FIFA had said earlier they were unsure if that would be the case and the OFC said on Saturday they would now need guidance on the matter from FIFA. The OFC also said that acting president David Chung, from Papua New Guinea, would continue in the role until the organisation’s next congress in 2011. The exact date and venue of the 2011 congress, however, would not be confirmed until at least after the next executive committee meeting in December. England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are bidding to host the 2018 World Cup with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar and United States the candidates for 2022. Bureau Report