FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa has denied claims he was involved in the torture of footballers as the world-governing body prepared to reveal the final list of contenders to succeed Sepp Blatter. Shaikh Salman was one of eight hopefuls to come forward before the deadline for candidates wishing to stand in the Feb. 26 election passed at midnight Monday. Another leading contender, the 62-year-old South African anti-apartheid campaigner Tokyo Sexwale, launched his campaign Tuesday as he promised to bring "transparency and accountability" to the scandal-tainted governing body of world football. Sexwale and the Bahraini royal Shaikh Salman, the head of the Asian Football Confederation, confirmed their bids Monday as UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino also entered the running to blow the race wide open. The 49-year-old Shaikh Salman can expect widespread support from the vast Asian Confederation, but he has already had to defend himself against criticism by human rights campaigners who have accused him of involvement in the arrest and torture of footballers when he was head of the Bahrain Football Association. "These are false, nasty lies that have been repeated again and again in the past and the present," he told the BBC in an interview. "I cannot deny something that I haven't done. "Such accusations are not just damaging, it's really hurting. Some people have agenda on their table." FIFA's electoral committee was meeting Tuesday to study each bid and the integrity of the candidates, with the exception of UEFA chief Michel Platini, who must wait until the end of a 90-day ban in January. Sexwale vowed to "follow the money" to rid football's ruling body of corruption after recent scandals. "What has been broken in FIFA is the ability to follow money," he told a press conference. "It is about good financial management, control systems, making sure things are done and there is a lot of transparency and accountability." Erstwhile favorite Platini officially remains a contender pending an examination of his candidacy when his ban ends on Jan. 5. Swiss lawyer Infantino's announcement casts doubt over Platini's support within UEFA and poses the question on whether Infantino is being presented as a Plan B in case the former France star is prevented from standing. Other confirmed candidates include the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, the 39-year-old brother of Jordan's King Abdullah. Then there is 57-year-old French former diplomat Jerome Champagne, who spent 11 years working for FIFA between 1999 and 2010. But he appears to lack the necessary clout, a problem also faced by David Nakhid, the former Trinidad and Tobago captain. In addition, Liberian FA chief Musa Bility left it until Monday to confirm that he had entered the race.
