Former FIFA presidential candidate Musa Bility says he was rejected as a possible candidate to replace Sepp Blatter due to a previous ban from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Liberian Football Association president Bility was not among the list of confirmed candidates released by FIFA on Thursday, with the organisation confirmed it had not admitted the candidature in view of the content of the integrity check report relating to him .
Bility was previously the subject of a six-month ban from CAF due to the use of confidential documents during a bid to change regulations governing election rules within the organisation.
And Bility confirmed in a statement that this ban was the reason behind his rejection by FIFA but explained he would review the matter with his legal team.
I have received communication from FIFA s Electoral Committee and I have been principally rejected because of my ban by CAF in 2013, he said.
I reject this and think it s unfortunate. I believe that my decision to fight CAF at the time was a genuine attempt to change African football and prevent rules from being arbitrarily violated.
On the merit of the FIFA decision I am awaiting the review by my team of lawyers to determine my next course of action.
With Michel Platini currently suspended by UEFA, his candidacy will not yet be assessed, leaving Prince Ali Al Hussein, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale in the race to succeed Blatter.
Blatter currently suspended by FIFA was re-elected for a fifth term as president in May but is to step down following the fallout from a number of leading FIFA officials being arrested at a Zurich hotel on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Blatter and Platini have been accused of corruption in relation to an alleged disloyal payment made from FIFA to the Frenchman in 2011. Both deny the allegations and have appealed their suspensions.
