Soccer: Loss of voice blow for Australian bid

David Chung. Photo / Supplied

Fifa's one-year ban on Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii could weaken Australia's bid for the 2022 World Cup and the world's biggest sporting tournament in New Zealand's back yard.

Temarii's ban is a body blow to his confederation's 11 member nations who now have no voice on World Cup hosting rights until the 2026 vote.

While Fifa's 206 member countries do not have a vote per se, they do have the opportunity to have their preferences conveyed to their respective members on the Fifa executive who, ultimately, decide where major tournaments are played.

In banning Tahiti's Temarii, Fifa have effectively silenced Oceania's only voice.

The remaining 22 executive members will now vote for 2018 and 2022 hosting rights on December 3. Oceania is the only confederation now excluded from that vote.

There is no provision in Fifa rules for Oceania's senior vice-president and OFC acting president David Chung, from Papua New Guinea, to take Temarii's place on the Fifa executive.

It is a different situation for the African confederation as Nigeria's Fifa executive member Amos Adamu, like Temarii caught in a British Sunday newspaper sting and banned for three years, is not the only African with voting rights. Ivory Coast and Egypt also have members on the executive.

New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum said he is not happy with the situation.

"We feel a bit aggrieved by what has happened. We [OFC] can't put up another member which leaves all Oceania countries without a say."

Van Hattum agreed that it might be time for Fifa to reconsider the voting procedure and called for greater transparency.

"We don't, as a country, get a vote but our recommendation in the case of the 2022 World Cup was to support Australia. They were also the first choice of the OFC executive."

Van Hattum was keen to see the World Cup in Australia. "Having it in our back yard would be great for the game."

Without Temarii's vote, Australia's chances of heading fellow bidders the United States, Japan, Qatar and South Korea - who all have representatives on the Fifa executive - are lessened.

If all countries were given a vote - not too difficult given three representatives of all member nations meet annually at the Fifa Congress - it would be make it far more difficult for potential hosts to woo [bribe] voters.

The situation is no different than what has raged for years in Olympic circles, where hosting rights have repeatedly been subject to bribery and corruption as potential hosts sought votes from IOC executive members by fair means or foul.

Temarii was treated the most leniently of the six members banned by Fifa's Ethics Committee. He copped a one-year band and a fine of 5000 Swiss francs ($6500) while other members were banned for between two and four years and all fined 10,000 Swiss francs.

Among those banned is the general secretary of the Tonga FA Ahongalu Fusimalohi, who copped three years and 10,000 Swiss francs.

It was ruled that he, Amadou Diakite and Ismael Bhamjee had "broken the rules on general conduct and loyalty and failed to report evidence of misconduct".

They were also found guilty of bribery.

Earlier, Fusimalohi, who was secretly filmed saying England's bid for 2018 had been hindered by not offering bribes like some other bidders.

He said: "England don't strike the deals. These people [other bidders] will go all over the world to get it at any price."

The OFC executive is scheduled to meet next weekend at which time the future of Temarii and Fusimalohi is certain to be discussed.