Malawian FA boss clinches FIfa seat as Mwendwa withdraws

Malawi Football Association president Walter Nyamilandu on Sunday clinched the African representative seat to the Fifa Council Member for the Anglophone linguistic grouping after beating three other candidates in an election which was only settled after two rounds of voting.

Meanwhile, despite campaigning and outlining his vision during the last three months, Kenya's Nick Mwendwa withdrew from this race at the last minute in a decision he later told Nation Sport was forced onto him by the "politics on the floor."

"Yes, I have stepped down. The politics on the floor were not right at this point," said Mwendwa in an interview from Cairo.

Seychelles FA president Elvis Chetty also stepped down on the day of the election.

Nyamilandu garnered 35 votes to defeat South Africa FA president Danny Jordan by 17 votes during the second round of voting during the Caf Extraordinary General Assembly in Egypt.

The election had to be decided in round two after neither candidate accumulated 28 votes - equivalent to 50 percent plus one - in the opening round.

During the first round of voting, Nyamilandu -who is rumoured to have the support of Caf president Ahmad Ahmad - defeated Jordan and Tanzania's Leodgar Tenga, garnering 23 votes against 16 and 14 respectively.

At the same gathering, the Congress comprising 54 FA presidents unanimously approved to support Fifa president Gianni Infantino (who was present) for another term of office ahead of next year's elections.

The Fifa Council seat, which is the fourth most powerful in world football, became vacant following the resignation of Ghana's Kwesi Nyantakyi who is currently fighting bribery allegations.