Prince Ali loses bid to stop Fifa presidential election

Prince Ali

Friday’s Fifa presidential election will go ahead as planned after candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein lost a bid to have it suspended.

Prince Ali, 40, is unhappy with voting arrangements but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) rejected his case.

The Jordanian wanted transparent voting booths to ensure the election, to find Sepp Blatter’s successor, is fair.

“I have done all I can. I regret that the system let us down,” he said.

“It is now imperative that voters abide by the ban on mobile phones and cameras in the voting booth.

“I look forward to Friday’s vote and remain as committed as ever to the goal of reforming Fifa.”

World football’s election commission rejected Prince Ali’s original request to suspend it if it could not “ensure that the vote is conducted in secret” and Cas ratified that decision on Wednesday.

Ali wants to ensure delegates do not photograph their ballot papers when they choose the next president, claiming they could be put under pressure to produce evidence of their vote to interested parties.

Prince Ali is one of five contenders looking to succeed the Swiss, who is stepping down at world football’s governing body after 18 years.