Tokyo Sexwale Pulled Out Of The Fifa Presidential Race And The Response Was Hilarious

Tokyo Sexwale's Withdrawal From The Fifa Race Drew The Juvenile Response You'd Expect
|

South African millionaire Tokyo Sexwale pulled out of the competition to become the next Fifa president - and the responses online were hilariously predictable.

Sexwale was competing against Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali bin al Hussein and Jerome Champagne in his bid for the presidency, which is due to be decided later on Friday.

Sexwale, a former anti-apartheid activist who turns 63 on March 5, revealed during his 15-minute speech that his son was born three days earlier.

Many people online - including ex-England footballer Gary Lineker - struggled to take the announcement seriously…

Sheikh Salman is expected to have the biggest tally in the first round vote, which could last two hours. A two-thirds majority of 138 is needed for outright victory.

The winner will take over a wealthy but vulnerable soccer body rocked by escalating corruption scandals.

Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term in May but bowed to pressure four days later and announced he would resign.

Blatter was subsequently banned for six years for financial mismanagement and was absent Friday after 40 years as a fixture at FIFA meetings.

Before electing FIFA's first new president since 1998, 87 percent of the 207 voting federations passed wide-ranging reforms to protect against corruption and curb the powers of its new president.

Those include preventing presidents from serving more than three four-year terms, reducing their powers and guaranteeing more independent oversight for FIFA's decision-making and spending.

The executive committee will be renamed the FIFA Council with more female members while there will be stricter integrity checks will also control top officials.