Former Nigeria soccer captain Segun Odegbami wants to succeed Sepp Blatter and become the first African president of FIFA.
The 63-year-old has vowed to restore “confidence and integrity” to the organization, which has been blighted by a string of corruption scandals.
Known as “Mathematical Odegbami” during his playing career for his speed, skill and precision, he was part of the Nigeria squad that won its first Africa Cup of Nations crown in 1980.
He is the latest to declare his candidacy after current president Blatter announced his intention to step down in June after 17 years as the head of world football.
“The current scandal at FIFA is the organization’s worst crisis in its 111 years of existence,” he said in a statement.
“Moving forward, FIFA thus require a new era of leadership that can restore the dignity of the noble sport and that of this esteemed international institution with global followership.
“The world is very interested in who becomes the next President of FIFA, considering the present image and state of this institution and I see myself fitting into this role.”
Odegbami is the second African candidate to throw his hat in the ring after Musa Bility, the head of the Liberian Football Association.
Blatter was re-elected to serve a fifth term in May in the same week that nine FIFA officials were indicted on corruption charges by United States authorities.
Their Swiss counterparts announced an investigation into the heavily criticized bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the same time.
Days later Blatter announced his intention to step down after declaring that his mandate “was clearly not supported by everybody.”
Prospective candidates must garner support from at least five of FIFA’s 209 members before October 26 with the elections taking place in February next year.
Michel Platini, head of European football’s governing body UEFA, South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon, and Brazilian legend Zico have already stated their intention to run.
In his statement, Odegbami — a former Nigerian sports ambassador — said that FIFA needed to “purge” itself in order to restore its reputation and reinstate integrity.
Under his leadership, FIFA would operate with the “highest sense of responsibility, integrity, transparency, probity and accountability,” he said.
He also promised a new and optimistic future for football that further focuses on human, infrastructural, social and community development across the world.
“Times like this call for all concerned members of the global football family to contribute to the actualization of renewed objectives for FIFA by electing a deserving and qualified person,” he added.