SINGAPORE - The man challenging Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam believes his chances of winning a crucial vote next month have improved after weeks of mud-slinging.

SINGAPORE - The man challenging Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam believes his chances of winning a crucial vote next month have improved after weeks of mud-slinging.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the chairman of the Bahrain football association, said he was confident of taking Bin Hammam's Fifa executive committee seat, which is up for grabs at the AFC Congress on May 8.

If the Qatari loses that powerful position, he has said he will step down as AFC chief despite his term running until 2011.

"I am confident of my ability and my chances are better than my opponent in the battle for several reasons," Sheikh Salman said.

"I did not prevent any of the Asian members from voting, I did not create laws to try and prevent others who have the right to vote from doing so, I did not interfere in the affairs of others."

Sheikh Salman's comments came after Fifa ruled on Friday that six Asian football associations had the right to vote at the AFC's Congress despite being informed that they did not meet the conditions to do so. - AFP