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21 Sport maltatoday, Wednesday, 28 OctOber 2015 football fIfa presidency candidate Sheikh Salman denies wrongdoing FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has dismissed accusa- tions of human rights abuses during his time as Bahrain Foot- ball Association head as nasty lies, in comments to the BBC on Tuesday. Salman, head of the Asian Foot- ball Confederation (AFC), sub- mitted his papers on Monday to stand in FIFA's Feb. 26 election to decide upon a new leader of the world governing body, engulfed in a corruption crisis. But Salman's declaration came amid an outcry from human rights groups who say that he, as head of the Bahrain Football Association and member of Bah- rain's royal family, had local foot- ball players arrested, detained, abused, tortured and publicly humiliated during democracy protests in February 2011. Bahrain was swept by protests during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings in which the Shi'ite majority demanded political re- forms from the Sunni Muslim ruling family. Salman faced the same accusa- tions prior to his election as AFC president in 2013. He reiterated his previous position on Tuesday that he was innocent. "These are false, nasty lies that have been repeated again and again in the past and the present," he told BBC Sport, accusing some people of having an "agenda" in making the allegations. "I cannot deny something that I haven't done," he said. "It's not just damaging me, it's damaging the people and the country." The Bahraini, who is closely al- lied with Kuwaiti Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, one of the most powerful men in interna- tional sports politics and a key figure in the Olympic movement, is one of eight candidates to head FIFA. The 49-year-old Manchester United supporter initially backed Sepp Blatter before throwing his support behind UEFA President Michel Platini to succeed him as FIFA president. Both were sus- pended for 90 days this month pending a full investigation by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Both deny any wrongdoing. Salman, expected to be able to call upon the bulk of support among the 47 members in the Asian confederation, said he was the man to fix FIFA, which has been reeling since May when the United States indicted several FIFA officials for bribery, money laundering and wire fraud. Swiss authorities are also in- vestigating the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. "With the support I'm going to get, we're going to turn it around very quick," Salman said. Sheikh Salman is currently the Asian Football Confederation President South Africa's Sexwale wants to repair brand SOUTH Africa's Tokyo Sexwale, who was a close friend of Nel- son Mandela, said yesterday he wanted to repair the "severely undermined" FIFA brand as he confirmed he was standing for the presidency of world soccer's gov- erning body. Sexwale, who spent 13 years with the late president at the Robben Is- land prison, was a member of the ruling African National Congress party and a post-apartheid gov- ernment minister before moving into business. He has been a member of FIFA's anti-discrimination task force, has conducted talks between the Pal- estinian and Israeli federations, and was a member of the bid team and the organising committee for the 2010 World Cup, the first held in Africa. "Having spent time inside FIFA, I am more than ready to take on the world," Sexwale told a news conference confirming he was running in the Feb. 26 vote to re- place Sepp Blatter after Monday's candidacy deadline. "I think it was a vote of confi- dence by people who I can only say understand who I am and what I will be able to bring to football. FIFA, the organisation of the beau- tiful game, is damaged. The brand is severely undermined." FIFA is embroiled in the worst scandal of its 111-year history, with the United States having indicted several FIFA officials for bribery, money laundering and wire fraud in May. Swiss authorities are also inves- tigating the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Rus- sia and Qatar respectively. Both countries deny any wrongdoing. Blatter and Michel Platini, presi- dent of European soccer's govern- ing body UEFA, who had been favourite to succeed him, have been suspended for 90 days pend- ing a full investigation by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Both deny any wrongdoing. Sexwale said he would head to Cairo after the news conference to seek the support of the Confedera- tion of African Football as he faces off against candidates including Asian soccer chief Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bah- rain, and Gianni Infantino, gener- al secretary of Europe's governing body UEFA. "I am going into this campaign as a candidate of my country with the confidence bestowed in me to make sure that we win. But win or lose people will know that there was an African who was here who shook things up," Sexwale said. Tokyo Sexwale Rooney granted United testimonial MANCHESTER United have granted Wayne Rooney a testi- monial following a campaign by supporters to honour the striker's long service to the club. Rooney will play in a testimonial match for a Manchester United XI against a yet-to-be-named op- ponent at Old Trafford on August 3, 2016. Details of the players and man- agers who will be involved on the day are expected to be revealed over the next few weeks. The 30-year-old has vowed to donate all the profits from the match to the NSPCC, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Claire House Hospice, and the Manchester United Foundation through the newly-formed Wayne Rooney foundation. Rooney's representatives said United awarded the striker the testimonial following a meeting between "like-minded individuals and Manchester United fans" who wrote to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward asking that a testi- monial be awarded following the player's 11-year spell at the club. "I would like to thank everyone involved in making this testimo- nial become a reality," the United and England captain said. "Most of all I want to thank the fans for all their incredible sup- port for me and the team since I joined the club. "The match night will obviously be special for me and my family but I hope it will be a night of cel- ebration for all involved and that we can also deliver one or two sur- prises. "Most of all I hope the fans will come out in force and help raise as much money as possible for these amazing charities, all of which are very close to my heart for different reasons." Since joining United from Ever- ton in 2004, Rooney has won the Premier League five times, the League Cup twice and the Cham- pions League on one occasion. The striker has also gained a host of individual accolades and is now just 13 goals short of Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time scoring record. "I am delighted that United fans will be able to celebrate Wayne's amazing years at the club in this way," Woodward said. "From his sensational debut hat- trick to the latest of his 236 goals, he has been a central figure in what has been one of the most success- ful periods in the club's history, winning everything from the Club World Cup, through the Champi- ons League and League Cup to his five Premier League titles. "Wayne has selected good caus- es very close to his heart and the club is delighted to play its part, in providing Old Trafford as a fitting stage for such a game." Rooney's agent Paul Stretford added: "When I told Wayne that the a group of fans had come to- gether to form a testimonial com- mittee in his honour and had been granted the rights by the club he immediately insisted that all money raised should go to chari- ties working for disadvantaged and sick children. "I wasn't surprised because it is typical of Wayne as a man and as father. On Wayne's behalf we are now working hard to make the event a huge success, memora- ble for the fans, and creating real benefits for those who depend on Wayne's charities." Wayne Rooney