AFC plans soccer summit

AFC plans soccer summit

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The president of the Asian Football Confederation plans a special summit of world soccer leaders to resolve a growing row with FIFA president Joao Havelange.

Sultan Ahmad Shah said yesterday he wanted a meeting of the heads of the five continental federations to end a dispute over Havelange's appointments that threatens to undermine the authority of the international governing body.

Havelange has angered the European and Asian federations with his nominations to the FIFA standing committees that run international soccer. Many of the officials were not supported by the continental federations.

Ahmad said he had lodged a formal complaint with Havelange and received an "unsatisfactory" reply. He said he had proposed a summit of federation leaders at the Intercontinental Championships in Riyadh next month.

Ahmad told an AFC executive meeting in Kuala Lumpur that the Asian body had 23 of its members on the various committees but that two who were not recommended had also been appointed.

He said he was "concerned" by Havelange's action which, he said, "undermines the credibility of the AFC."

Lennart Johansson, president of the European governing body, UEFA, warned last week that his organization may pull out of FIFA over the appointments. Press reports have said the North American federation, CONCACAF, was also angry.