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New Zealand to vote for challenger Ali in FIFA election

Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, FIFA presidential candidate, attends the Soccerex Asian Forum on developing the business of football in Asia at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, Jordan, May 4, 2015. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (Reuters)

By Greg Stutchbury WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Football will vote for FIFA presidential challenger Prince Ali bin Al Hussein later on Friday, snubbing their Oceania colleagues and switching allegiance from embattled incumbent Sepp Blatter. All 11 member nations of the Oceania Football Confederation had pledged to back the 79-year-old Blatter at their January congress in Papua New Guinea, but NZF President Mark Aspden said on Friday they had changed their mind. "Beyond question the game has been brought into disrepute by recent events and we need a change," Aspden told reporters from Auckland in a conference call about the corruption scandal engulfing the world governing body. "We have had a look at who we believe to be the best candidate leading the organisation going forward. "We don't believe reforms can happen under President Blatter's leadership. "Of course our candidate may not be successful... but that's up to the 209 voters." Blatter, who is running for a fifth term against Jordan's Prince Ali, has ignored calls to stand down as FIFA reels from the arrests of seven high-ranking officials in Zurich on bribery charges at the request of U.S. authorities. He has already lost the support of Europe's governing body UEFA, while Australia, the United States and Canada have also said they would vote for Prince Ali. Aspden said the scandal had rocked FIFA and Blatter's intransigence in refusing to accept any responsibility for the corruption scandal ran counter to New Zealand values. "It's not what we're used to as Kiwis... and he has been the person at the helm of the ship while all of this been happening," he said. "If an organisation here had such fundamental ethical issues it would be impossible for a chief executive or board chair not to step down in those circumstances." Aspden said he was unsure if their decision to switch allegiance to Prince Ali would influence the vote of the other 10 nations within FIFA's smallest confederation. "Oceania is 11 countries and... we don't speak for them and are unaware of how they will vote," said Aspden, who also doubted their decision would sour their relationship with the rest of the South Pacific nations. "I think friends should be able to take different positions on important issues without it impacting their overall friendship," he added. "We are not trying to say that they are wrong if they come to a different decision. "We base our decision on what is best for New Zealand Football." (Editing by Ian Ransom/Sudipto Ganguly)