FIFA presidential candidates Champagne, Ali solicit for Cecafa votes

Two candidates for the presidency of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, soliciting for votes ahead of the elections.

"Yes two aspirants spoke to us on Friday during the Cecafa general Assembly and they have continued to speak to us even now," Leodagar Tenga, the out-going (Council for East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) President told Xinhua.

The two FIFA presidential candidates - Jerome Champagne and Prince bin al-Hussein Ali from Jordan - have pitched to solicit for votes from the 11 Cecafa member nations.

The FIFA elections will take place on February 26, 2016 at the headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, to find a successor to the suspended Sepp Blatter, who is under criminal investigation.

The Swiss 79-year-old announced he would be stepping down in June as the world's soccer governing body is at the center of a corruption scandal.

Ethiopia's FA President Juneid Bashar Tilmo told Xinhua that it is good the two candidates have made time to come and speak to members of the Cecafa region.

"We have listened to them and we still have time to decide before the elections next year," he added.

Vincent Nzamwita, the President of the Rwanda FA also welcomed the idea of the two FIFA presidential candidates coming to speak to Cecafa members.

"This is s a good step and we shall continue to listen to their ideas ahead of the elections," said Nzamwita.

Cecafa member associations which will vote during the FIFA Assembly include Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea and Somalia. Endi