KOZO Tashima's declaration last week that he would stand against Gianni Infantino in next March's FIFA presidential election came as a surprise, but is the latest sign of dissatisfaction within Japanese football at the state of the sport's governance.
The move comes in the wake of Takeshi Okada's resignation from his role as a Japan Football Association vice-president last month.
Okada, who coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cup finals, quit citing concerns over developments surrounding FIFA and the World Cup, and his announcement was made in the aftermath of the Asian Football Confederation declaring its support for Infantino's reelection.
Tashima, currently the JFA's honorary president after eight years as president, has vowed to self-fund his challenge and his move underscores the mood within a country that has established itself as Asia's on-field leader of the sport.
