Football on life support.

Day -954. WorldCup2018

Fifa, oh Fifa. Reform, change, new era. What about all those great plans we heard so much about, the promises of a new beginning with a new President? Today the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee, "established to oversee the electoral process for the office of FIFA president" (fifa.com) rejected the candidature of Musa Bility, President of the Liberian FA, "in view of the content of the integrity check report relating to him".

What was Bility's great sin? According to Fifa, "For reasons of protection of personality rights, the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee – while it has explained its considerations in detail to Musa Hassan Bility – will not comment publicly on the specifics of its decision."

Bility said that he was told that the main reason for his failed bid was his ban for 6 months by the African Confederation (CAF) in 2013. He suffered this punishment because he challenged the then President of CAF, Issa Hayatou and the way that Hayatou changed the election rules to make sure that he won re-election. Bility had his controversies. He was fund guilty of massive tax evasion in Liberia and "economic sabotage" by the Liberian government over a $30m contract for the reconstruction of an airport runway. But his challenge of Hayatou, even if it was an attempt at self-publicity might have actually made a difference. "My decision to fight CAF at the time was a genuine attempt to change African football and prevent rules from being arbitrarily violated," said Bility.

A Fifa statement also said, "The integrity check included a review of corporate records, litigation cases, bankruptcy proceedings, potential regulatory actions taken against the candidate and a review of media reports concerning potential red flags (fraudulent behaviour, match manipulation, human rights violations, etc)."

This applied to all the candidates. They put human rights at the end of that. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa was approved. This is the Sheikh who has had serious allegation of rounding up footballers and other athletes for torture in Bahrain levelled against him. Allegations with some very concrete evidence. Yet he has passed Fifa's integrity check.

I do wish I had the right words to convey my dismay, sadness, disappointment at not only Fifa but at anybody in the world of football, especially those who run their national associations, who allow this to happen. The President may change but football is not going to. Put aside the monetary corruption. While linked, it is the moral corruption that is ruining this game. Men, and yes they are all men, are morally corrupting this game. Until they go, or are a meaningless minority, Fifa is going to be the same organisation comprised of member nations who vote for World Cups to be held in countries that have no regard for human rights. Presidents of FA's in little Caribbean nations are going to allow a World Cup to be held in a country where workers building opulent stadiums are treated like slaves.

What is the point of following the Fifa presidential election? Five corrupt football officials sitting on a wall......or, more appropriately, five corrupt football officials sitting in a Brazilian-mined-marble-walled conference room.......

I despair.