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BUDAPEST — Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton clinched pole position on Saturday for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he will start at the front for the ninth time in 10 races this season and 47th overall in his career.

Hamilton, starting from pole for the fifth time here, looks well set to clinch his fifth career victory at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

The British driver topped all three practice sessions and all three sections of qualifying to clock a best time of 1 minute, 22.020 seconds, putting him .575 ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg and .719 clear of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

"It's been a good weekend so far. I love the track, it feels like an old go-kart circuit we used to race on years ago," Hamilton said. "It's been one of the best weekends I've had. Can't remember having a better weekend so far than this."

In an encouraging performance for Red Bull, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, the winner here last year, sneaked into fourth place ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

It was disappointing for Williams, with Valtteri Bottas sixth behind Finnish countryman Raikkonen and Felipe Massa eighth behind Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat.

Drivers wore tributes on their helmets and cars to Jules Bianchi, the French driver who died last week at the age of 25 from injuries sustained in a head-on crash at the Japanese Grand Prix last October.

A group of fans at the Hungaroring held up a banner in honor of Bianchi with "Tous Avec Jules" (All with Jules) written in French.

A minute's silence will be held before Sunday's race.

Rosberg was first out on track in qualifying, closely followed by Hamilton, who was nearly 1 second faster than Rosberg on their first laps.

Rosberg had complained about his car's balance during Friday's second practice and the problem with understeering resurfaced in Q1.

"Just didn't find the pace, it's been a bit up and down all weekend for some unexplained reasons," Rosberg said. "Going to have a look at it tonight, definitely not happy with what happened today."

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso sneaked into Q2 on his last lap, but McLaren teammate Jenson Button just missed out, placing 16th.

Then, McLaren's persistent engine problems resurfaced as Alonso's car stopped suddenly early into Q2, forcing a red flag to come out and briefly halt the session.

Eager to get his car out of the way, Alonso quickly jumped out and started to push the car uphill on his own before a handful of track marshals helped him out.

Both Force India cars took part in qualifying, having been pulled from Friday's second practice session as a precautionary measure after Sergio Perez crashed because of a suspension problem. Both made it safely into Q2.

Chasing down Hamilton's leading time in Q3, Rosberg was fastest at the first time split and then drifted back.

As if underline his superiority, Hamilton then went out on one final lap and went even quicker to extend his leading margin.

In the final practice, Hamilton was .098 seconds ahead of Rosberg and .889 clear of Vettel, the only other driver apart from Hamilton and Rosberg to win this season.

"Third is the maximum we could do today, so we're very, very happy," Vettel said. "It was a great recovery from yesterday when we had problems with the car."

There was a late worry for Rosberg in P3 as his car slowed and then ground to a halt coming out of the pit lane, because the car's anti-stall failed to engage. Rosberg climbed slowly out, removed his race helmet and stood for a few moments appearing confused before walking back to his garage.

He had even more reason to look glum-faced, given that he has never secured even a podium finish here.

The German driver, second to Hamilton in the F1 championship last year, secured pole at the last race here only to finish fourth behind Hamilton — who earned the first of his 17 race wins for Mercedes on this track in 2013.

Hamilton has won five races so far this year, with Rosberg clinching three.

The way he is racing here so far this weekend, Hamilton looks odds-on for a 39th career race win.

AMMAN — The U-23 national team regrouped on Saturday as it prepares for a four-nation friendly in Slovakia set for September 2-9, before the first West Asian Championship kicks off on September 29.

Jordan will join the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan at the friendly tourney which coach Jamal Abed described of ‘’utmost importance ahead of the West Asian Championship.” He noted that U-23 team squad did not have enough friendlies while other squads in the region train all year long and are the main support for national teams. 

With a vital Asian and Olympic agenda ahead, the line-up’s preparedness seems to have gone down the priority list and the team is now hampered by another obstacle with top clubs like Wihdat, Jazira and Ahli, probably not freeing up their players as they prepare for the start of the local agenda.

While Wihdat chairman Tareq Khoury underlined his club have not received a formal letter from the Jordan Football Association to release the players, incoming head coach Imad Khankan said it was impossible to release his players as the team prepare for the local agenda starting August 21.

“Freeing them up once a week is doable, but letting go of 11 players for a friendly tourney as the season is about to begin is objectionable,” said Khankan, adding that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup is Wihdat’s key aim this season in addition to retaining the local titles. The same sentiments were echoed by Ahli and Jazira officials, all gearing up for the local season.

U-23 coach Abu Abed said he expects the full line-up of recalled players to attend practice noting the importance of the AFC U-23 Championship which will be held in Qatar in January 2016, with the 16-team competition also serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The AFC announced the qualifiers to the championship which include Group B champ Jordan in addition to winners of Groups A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Syria, Australia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and China) as well five best second-placed teams from all groups — Thailand, Iran, Vietnam, Yemen and Uzbekistan — who will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship in January 12-30, 2016. 

Jordan topped Group B qualifiers in Amman as the team overcame adversity and the change of schedule three times, which observers feared would undermine preparedness and competitive advantage. Jordan held Kuwait 3-3, beat Kyrgyzstan 4-0 and Pakistan 5-0 to advance. 

Over the past year, the U-23 team has impressed observers when it beat South Korea to take bronze at the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship (now renamed the AFC U-23 Championship) as Iraq beat Saudi Arabia to take the title. The same squad also represented Jordan at the Asian Games where they made it to the quarterfinals despite a bumpy preparation period, amid the busy agenda of the national team as well as local clubs. Jordan beat UAE 1-0, India 2-0 and Kyrgyzstan 2-0 in extra time before losing 2-0 to Thailand in the quarters.

U-16 loses friendlies

Meanwhile, the U-16 football team ended its local camp during which they lost two matches to the UAE. The team led in both matches before losing. In the first it led 2-0 before losing 3-2 and in the second led 2-1 before losing 4-2.

Previously the squad only played two friendlies against Palestine whom they beat 2-0 after losing the first match 3-2 

As the 5th West Asian Championship kicks off in Amman on July 29 with Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan competing for the title, coach Abdullah Qitati said “more friendlies are vital for the upcoming agenda “.

Following the West Asia event, the U-16 is likely to host its Saudi and Syrian counterparts to put finishing touches ahead of Group B qualifiers for the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship, where Jordan will play alongside Nepal, Oman and Kyrgyzstan from 12 -20 September in Kyrgyzstan.

India will host the 2016 AFC U-16 championship with a total of 45 nations, including the hosts participating in the qualifiers and the draw seeding based on the rankings from the last edition in 2014 won by North Korea . The 45 nations were divided into two qualifying zones — West Zone with 24 teams and East Zone with 21 teams. Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). In case India finishes top of its qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.

Jordan was eliminated from the 2014 AFC U-16 qualifiers held in Amman after finishing last in Group D. Jordan lost to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia 2-1, and drew 4-4 with Syria.

AMMAN — Jordanian ultra-marathon runner Salameh Al Aqra came in 11th overall at the 1st MSIG Singapore Action Asia run on Saturday in the main 50km race.

He won first place in his age group (men 40-49, 4h41m20s).

The overall winner in 50km race was Jackson Chirchir from Kenya (3h55m44s), followed by American Stuart Haynes (4h5m52s) and Kenyan Muteti Lukas (4h10m50s).

GENEVA — Potential FIFA presidential election rivals Michel Platini and HRH Prince Ali met for the first time on Wednesday since Sepp Blatter announced his exit.

Spokesmen for both men declined to comment on details of the talks held in the south of France, where Platini has a vacation home.

Prince Ali was publicly supported by UEFA President Platini before losing a 133-73 vote to Blatter in May. Four days later, under pressure from American and Swiss corruption investigations, Blatter said he would leave within months.

Neither possible contender has yet declared his intentions for the FIFA ballot on February 26. Would-be candidates must apply by an October 26 deadline.

Still, there is already one clear policy difference between the former FIFA vice presidential colleagues.

Later Wednesday, Prince Ali opposed Platini’s view on FIFA reform plans.

Platini said Monday that an in-house task force announced by Blatter was an important step and should act “in a swift and effective manner”.

The prince takes a longer term view of an 11-member panel, which was told to report to the next FIFA executive committee meeting on September 24-25 in Zurich.

Prince Ali, who failed in an attempt to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in May, says Blatter should not be handling the reform process at world football’s scandal-hit governing body and that the task should be left to his successor.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Prince Ali said he feared Blatter, who has ruled the body since 1998, was trying to rush through reforms before he leaves office on February 26.

Blatter announced he would be stepping down from the presidency only days after his reelection as a corruption scandal led to mounting criticism of his leadership.

“We need a clear process, clear timelines and a very clear remit. And all this should belong to the new president,” said Prince Ali, who has yet to declare whether he will run again in February’s vote.

“Although reforms are welcome and much needed, they are the mandate of the new president, not the old one.

“How can this task force address change in any meaningful way within such a short timeline?” Prince Ali said in a statement.

“It is the role of the new president to put in place the necessary systems to implement the changes that FIFA so desperately needs, not a Task Force trying to rush this through in less than 60 days,” the prince said.

Platini will also have a role, along with Blatter and FIFA’s five other continental presidents, in selecting the task force chairman, who will be joined by 10 football officials.

FIFA said the chairman should be “neutral” rather than the fully independent “eminent” leader suggested by World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola and former FIFA advisers Transparency International, which are supported by Prince Ali.

FIFA’s definition suggests the job will go to Domenico Scala, the current audit and compliance committee chairman, who endorsed Blatter’s reform project in their speeches on June 2.

Scala, a Swiss industrialist who has monitored FIFA’s finances since 2012, declined comment to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

“Having a neutral chairman is not enough to guarantee the independence of this task force,” Prince Ali said. “Independent oversight is what is required right now to restore confidence in FIFA. Window dressing isn’t enough.”

Proposed reforms include term limits for top officials, publishing their pay and stricter vetting of their integrity, and limiting terms.

Changes must be voted in by FIFA’s 209 member federations on the day they elect their new president.

BUDAPEST — The head says Lewis Hamilton but those willing to take a more adventurous punt might fancy the chances of Valtteri Bottas or Kimi Raikkonen as Formula One regroups in Hungary with a heavy heart this weekend.

Hamilton, winner at the Hungaroring four times in eight years and twice in the past three, is the clear favourite as the double world champion seeks to stretch his 17-point overall lead into the August break.

The Briton and his rivals will also be racing with Jules Bianchi in their thoughts after attending the French driver’s funeral in Nice on Tuesday.

“Saying goodbye to Jules was incredibly hard for everyone,” said Hamilton of a promising talent who died on Friday, nine months after a Japanese Grand Prix crash left him in a coma.

“I wished I had known him better.

“Hungary is a beautiful place, one of my favourites. I will be carrying Jules with me in my prayers and thoughts, not only this race but for the rest of my driving days. I know he’d want us to race hard as he did, and so I will.”

The form book points to another battle between Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, with the pair chasing their seventh one-two in 10 races, but history offers some hope of a different outcome.

The race, now in its 30th edition, threw up a surprise last season when Australian Daniel Ricciardo won for Red Bull and has done so before.

It may be just a statistical curiosity, but the fact remains that only English, Australian or Finnish drivers have won in Hungary for a decade.

Finnish success

Raikkonen, who could be replaced by Bottas at Ferrari next season if speculation is correct, won with McLaren in 2005 while compatriot Heikki Kovalainen triumphed in 2008.

“I always have a lot of support — it’s almost a Finnish Grand Prix,” said Williams’ Bottas, who has yet to win in Formula One, but was third in Canada.

“We should be looking to have a strong weekend and to build on the good momentum we have built.”

Raikkonen was second in Bahrain, his first top three finish since he won with Lotus in 2013 and apart from last season, the 2007 world champion has been on the podium in Hungary every year he has raced there since 2006.

Ricciardo is the only Australian on the grid and Red Bull have lost hope of winning until Renault provide a more competitive engine, and may have to grin and bear it.

Jenson Button took his first F1 win in Hungary with Honda in 2006 from 14th on the grid, which remains the lowest winning start for the race, but even starting that low will be a challenge this time with Honda-powered McLaren.

Bianchi’s death, the first since 1994 of a driver resulting from a race incident, has put everything into perspective.

“Last weekend’s sad news... means that the Grand Prix circus heads to Budapest with heavy hearts,” McLaren boss Eric Boullier said.

“We’ll all remember his life in our own personal way, but Formula One will come together on Sunday to silently and respectfully mark his passing.”

Tyre tender

Bernie Ecclestone will decide whether Michelin or current suppliers Pirelli secure Formula One’s three-year tyre contract from 2017 after both companies passed a technical and safety hurdle.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Wednesday that the two had met the requirements to become approved bidders, and had been submitted to the sport’s commercial rights holder.

Ecclestone, the commercial supremo who represents controlling shareholders CVC, will conduct negotiations with both and make a decision for the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council to approve.

The FIA body’s next scheduled meeting is on September 30 in Paris.

Michelin withdrew from Formula One in 2006, a year after a farcical US Grand Prix that went ahead with only six cars after all the Michelin-equipped teams pulled out on safety grounds.

The sport has had a sole supplier since then, with Bridgestone replaced by Pirelli in 2011.

Ecclestone indicated earlier in the year that he favoured retaining Pirelli, who also invest heavily in trackside advertising.

“All Michelin would do is make a rock-hard tyre that you could put on in January and take off in December because they don’t want to be in a position where they can be criticised,” the 84-year-old Briton said in May.

Whereas the Pirelli F1 compounds have been engineered to degrade, in a move aimed at increasing strategy options and encouraging overtaking, Michelin have said they are not prepared to make a tyre that did not last.

Michelin motorsport head Pascal Couasnon told Reuters last month that the French company also had no interest in supplying tyres to Formula One, unless the sport agreed to change the specification from 33cm to at least 45.7cm.

The current FIA tender document opens the way for an increase in diameter “if the tyre manufacturer feels there may be advantages to the competitors by doing so”.

AMMAN — Jordanian ultra-marathon champion Salameh Al Aqra will take part in the 50km race of the MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 on Saturday.

This edition will be staged for the first time in downtown Singapore and will include 21km and 10km runs.

The championship tussle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will take a back seat at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, with Formula One still coming to terms with the death of Jules Bianchi.

The 25-year-old Bianchi died in a hospital in his hometown of Nice on Friday from injuries sustained in a head-on crash during the Japanese GP last October.

The outpouring of sympathy and support for Bianchi’s family reflected just how popular he was. He was also highly rated, and made enough of an impression in his 34 GPs for many observers to predict he would be a future star. Bianchi had been expected to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari.

Hamilton, Rosberg, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa and French driver Romain Grosjean attended Bianchi’s funeral at the Sainte Reparate Cathedral in Nice on Tuesday, along with four-time F1 champions Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel and FIA President Jean Todt.

“Saying goodbye to Jules was incredibly hard for everyone,” Hamilton said. “For myself, I wished I had known him better. But from what I knew of him, he was a kind heart with a great spirit and a bright future.”

Nice is about 30 kilometres from the track where Bianchi sealed the best performance of his career. Driving for Marussia — now known as Manor Marussia — he finished in ninth place at the Monaco Grand Prix last year and gave the unheralded team its first points in F1.

Bianchi made his GP debut for Marussia in 2013. The previous year, he drove for the Force India team in several practice sessions.

“We had the pleasure of working with Jules during 2012 and he left a strong impression on everyone,” Force India team principal Vijay Mallya said. “An outstanding young man and a tremendous talent who was destined for great things in Formula One. The world has lost a true racer and we have all lost a friend.”

Bianchi’s accident occurred at the end of the race at the Suzuka circuit. In rainy, gloomy conditions, his car slid off the track and ploughed into a crane picking up the Sauber of German driver Adrian Sutil, who crashed one lap earlier.

The accident prompted F1 to alter its rules, allowing a “virtual safety car” in which stewards can neutralise a race, forcing all cars to proceed slowly into the pit lane rather than continuing to lap the circuit. The start times of some races were also moved forward to avoid them continuing in dim light conditions.

“Now our sport embarks on a tough road ahead,” Hamilton said. “We have made great progress for safety thus far and I know that the FIA will continue to make steps forward to improve even further.”

Governing body FIA will retire the number 17 — Bianchi’s racing car number last year — in his honour, and it will be an emotional weekend at the Hungaroring circuit.

“I will be carrying Jules with me in my prayers and thoughts, not only this race but for the rest of my driving days,” Hamilton said. “I know he’d want us to race hard as he did and so I will.”

With his win three weeks ago at the British GP, Hamilton extended his lead over Rosberg to 17 points — a morale booster after Rosberg had won three of the past four races heading to Silverstone.

It seems increasingly likely that the F1 championship will be won by one of the Mercedes drivers, who have won eight of nine races so far, with five wins for Hamilton.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel — who drove brilliantly to win the Malaysian GP in the second race of the season — is already lagging 59 points behind Hamilton in third place.

McLaren, meanwhile, must stop the decline.

Despite two world champions in Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, the team has only five points so far as it struggles with new Honda engines. At the British Grand Prix three weeks ago, Alonso forced Button out of his home race.

SEOUL — South Korean powerbroker Chung Mong-joon is leaning toward running for the FIFA presidency as a replacement for Sepp Blatter, telling The Associated Press that a non-European leader would help breathe “new wind” into football’s international governing body.

A former FIFA vice president, Chung also criticised the decision this week to allow Blatter to remain as president until the election on February 26, despite calls for him to immediately step down amid mounting pressure to reform as US and Swiss authorities investigate allegations of corruption.

“Blatter has been doing whatever he wants with FIFA for 40 years since his days as general secretary and while he said he’s going out, it doesn’t seem he really is,” Chung told the AP in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Letting Blatter manage FIFA and design reform plans before the February vote is comedy.”

Chung, who was a key figure in helping South Korea land the right to co-host the 2002 World Cup with Japan, has been a longtime critic of Blatter, whom he described as a dictatorial “little brat” in a memoir published in 2011.

Chung was a FIFA vice president for 17 years and was once considered a candidate to succeed Blatter before losing his seat in 2011. The billionaire scion of the Hyundai business group has also been a South Korean lawmaker and presidential candidate.

Chung said he plans to consult leaders of regional confederations and other key figures before he finalises his decision whether to run for FIFA’s top job. If he becomes president, Chung said he would aim to eliminate corruption and improve its accounting transparency. He said he would also try to strengthen football in Asia and other regions where the sport has most room to grow.

“I am positively considering running for the presidency and will be able to reveal my decision soon,” he said.

The February 26 date agreed by FIFA’s executive committee on Monday was a political victory for Blatter over European governing body UEFA and its supporters in other continents who wanted a December ballot.

UEFA President Michel Platini, Brazil great Zico and Liberia federation President Musa Bility are among the likely contenders to run for the FIFA presidency.

When asked about his potential chances, Chung said “there is no such thing as an easy election”.

“I have tried several times to become FIFA president, experienced parliamentary elections and also tried to become South Korean president,” he said, “so you could trust me on that.”

Blatter has seven months left at the top of world football’s governing body but his hope of putting the organisation’s troubles behind him before he goes looks forlorn.

Blatter, elected to the top position in 1998, will stand down on the date FIFA selected for an “elective congress” to choose his replacement.

FIFA’s answer on Monday to the corruption scandal that has engulfed it since the arrests of senior officials in May on US fraud and money laundering charges, was to announce the creation of another “task force” made up of people from within the body.

The 79-year-old Blatter clearly hopes they will come up with a package of reforms that will placate his critics and those of the organisation.

“My responsibility and mission is to make sure when at the end of February I come to the end of my career, I can say in FIFA we have started again the reform and have rebuilt the reputation of FIFA,” Blatter told a news conference.

But even if his task force, made up of representatives of the regional confederations but with a “neutral chairman” makes progress, it is hard to see how Blatter’s final months in charge will be anything other than fraught.

The US Department of Justice investigation into corruption, kickbacks and racketeering in football could lead to more charges, especially if some of those indicted agree to cooperate with authorities.

Blatter has not been charged with any wrongdoing. But former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands, widely praised by Blatter and seen as his protege, pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York on Saturday to charges of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. He was released on $10 million bail.

In addition to the criminal case, the US Securities and Exchange Commission regulator was examining the behaviour of several companies with links to FIFA and other football organisations to see if there were possible violations of bribery laws.

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-16 football team will host the UAE in two friendlies this weeks as they head into the final week ahead of the 5th West Asian Championship kicking off in Amman on July 29 with Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan competing for the title.

The team increased its training regimen, but some technical issues plagued its preparedness with coach Abdullah Qitati trying to best prepare the line-up on both the fitness and competitive sides, as head coach Eric Deletang took time off earlier this month with the West Asian Championship only a week away. 

In addition, the team played only two friendlies against Palestine which it beat 2-0 after losing the first match 3-2.

Qitati was quoted as saying the past few weeks helped boost the team’s preparedness describing the squad as “upbeat and serious”.

The coach said he hoped the next two matches against the UAE on July 22 and 24 will help the team’s competitive form, adding “we hope officials will succeed in securing additional serious friendlies as they are vital for our upcoming agenda “.

Following the West Asia event, the U-16 might host its Saudi and Syrian counterparts to put finishing touches ahead of Group B qualifiers for the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship, where Jordan will play alongside Nepal, Oman and Kyrgyzstan from September 12 -20 in Kyrgyzstan.

India will host the 2016 AFC U-16 championship with a total of 45 nations, including the hosts participating in the qualifiers, and the draw seeding based on the rankings from the last edition in 2014 won by North Korea. The 45 nations were divided into two qualifying zones — West Zone with 24 teams and East Zone with 21 teams. Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). In case India finish top of its qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.

Jordan was eliminated from the 2014 AFC U-16 qualifiers held in Amman after finishing last in Group D. Jordan lost to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia twice by 2-1, and drew 4-4 with Syria.

ZURICH — FIFA will hold a presidential election on February 26, seemingly giving Sepp Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body.

The date was chosen by FIFA’s executive committee on Monday, after Blatter announced plans to resign four days following his re-election in May amid American and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.

The 79-year-old Blatter, who first joined FIFA 40 years ago, has held onto the most world powerful job in world football since 1998.

FIFA’s 209 members, who elected Blatter to a fifth term in May, will return to Zurich next year to select a new president almost nine months after Blatter’s resignation statement.

Potential contenders include UEFA President Michel Platini and HRH Prince Ali, who lost to Blatter in May.

Former Brazil great Zico and Liberia football federation President Musa Bility have said they will seek the five nominations required by the October 26 deadline.

FIFA announced the election date shortly before a scheduled news conference by Blatter. The FIFA executive committee meeting was also due to discuss ways of reforming the organisation to regain the trust of fans and sponsors, including presidential term limits.

Prince Ali on Monday joined World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola and former FIFA advisers Transparency International in calling for Blatter to be excluded from the process of shaping the organisation’s future after a litany of scandals on his watch.

Prince Ali told The Associated Press that Blatter “cannot be permitted to plan his succession and manage this election process”.

“President Blatter’s resignation cannot be dragged out any longer. He must leave now,” Prince Ali, an ex-FIFA vice president (for four years until May), said in a statement to the AP.

“An interim independent leadership must be appointed to administer the process of the elections, in addition to the reforms that are being discussed prior to the elections,” he added.

Reformers want FIFA to appoint a respected figure from outside the sport to oversee the next election and reforms of FIFA.

Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general from Ghana, has been mentioned for the role.

“The rumours linking Mr Annan to the FIFA job are just that: rumours,” Annan’s office told the AP, stressing that he is currently “fully committed” to other roles.

Bility, the Liberian federation head, said he was “very disappointed” with the February 26 election date.

“It does not reflect the urgency of the situation,” he told the AP by telephone. “The anxiety, the wait cannot help knowing that we expect to have a new leadership.”

Bility said he is sure he will secure the nominations required to make the ballot.

“I am very encouraged,” he said. “You know I am keen viewing those rumours of those who are running. I don’t see any new faces. They are all names who have been around for all these years.”

Blatter’s news conference at FIFA was disrupted and delayed by a British comedian’s stunt.

As Blatter took his seat, performer Simon Brodkin rose from a front-row seat to speak and shower the FIFA president with dollar bills.

The comedian also tried to disrupt a performance by Kanye West at the Glastonbury festival in Britain last month.

On Monday, he was ushered out of the auditorium at FIFA headquarters.

Blatter said he would leave the room for a few minutes because “we have to clean here first.”

He said “this has nothing to do with football.”