Zhang to take AFC reins in bin Hammam’s absence

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - China's Zhang Jilong will take
the reins of the Asian Football Confederation in the absence of
Mohamed bin Hammam, who was suspended from all soccer activity
by FIFA on Sunday, a source at the AFC told Reuters on Monday. 

Asian soccer head bin Hammam was on Sunday suspended over
bribery allegations in the worst corruption scandal to blight
the sport's governing body, hours after ending his campaign to
unseat FIFA President Sepp Blatter. 

AFC Vice President Zhang ran for a seat on FIFA's executive
committee earlier this year but was beaten in a vote at the
AFC's congress in Doha. 

Bin Hammam's suspension from FIFA was greeted with a wall of
silence in Asia as soccer figures in the region took stock in
the aftermath of Sunday's stunning turn of events. 

Qatari bin Hammam, 62, had been due to stand against Blatter
at the FIFA Congress in Zurich on Wednesday but withdrew his
candidacy a day before facing an ethics committee hearing into
bribery allegations. 

Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, president of CONCACAF, were
suspended over bribery allegations while FIFA's ethics committee
cleared President Sepp Blatter of any wrongdoing. 

CONCACAF is the confederation representing North, Central
American and Caribbean Association Football. 

Bin Hammam and Warner were accused of arranging to pay
delegates of the Caribbean Football Union $40,000 in cash to
vote for Blatter's only rival. The case against Warner and Bin
Hammam, who have denied any wrongdoing, will be heard in July.