CONCACAF's congress witnessed an outburst of support for incumbent Sepp Blatter ahead of next month's FIFA presidential election but one of his rivals Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag believes that does not tell the whole story.
Blatter's electoral machine is in full-swing with Africa, South America and the CONCACAF regions already looking strong for him, though van Praag said many of those opposed to the Swiss may be keeping their heads down before the May 29 vote.
All three candidates running against Blatter -- van Praag, Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and former Portugal international Luis Figo -- spent time in the Bahamas meeting delegates privately, as they have been doing in other regions.
"We knew in advance there was support for Mr Blatter in this region," Van Praag said in reference to 10 Caribbean and Central American federations speaking in support of Blatter while none publicly backed his three opponents.
"But I know from my meetings that there also countries in CONCACAF that want a change, they are sure of that and they are not going to vote for Mr Blatter."
Van Praag said reluctance to make opposition to Blatter public ahead of the vote is not limited to the CONCACAF region.
"I was in Africa at their congress in Cairo last week and there are delegates from African countries who also want a change now and who read the various programmes of Prince Ali, Luis Figo and myself," van Praag added.
"They keep their cards close to their chest and they don't want to disclose to others what they are going to do.
"The FIFA congress has a secret ballot, so there can be surprises."
Van Praag could expect support from Dutch speaking territories in the region, Suriname, Curacao and Aruba while Prince Ali has been nominated by CONCACAF's biggest federation -- the United States.
How CONCACAF congress turned into pro-Blatter rally
Hailed as ‘the father of football’ and compared to Jesus Christ and Nelson Mandela, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter got backing from across Caribbean and Central American countries at the CONCACAF congress.
Blatter received pledges of support from 10 federations as the congress quickly turned from a business meeting into a rally to support the incumbent president of soccer's world governing body.
The Trinidad and Tobago FA chief Raymond Tim Kee praised Blatter as the ‘father of football’ while the president of the Dominican Republic federation Osiris Guzman compared the 79-year-old Swiss to Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King Jr as well as Jesus and Mandela.
Guzman was suspended by FIFA in 2011 for 30 days and fined following an Ethics Committee investigation into the allegations surrounding the cash for votes scandal at the last FIFA presidential election.
There were no speeches in favour of any of the opposing candidates -- former Portugal international Luis Figo, Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag and Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein all of whom were present as observers.
"I think CONCACAF membership is sending a clear message that we continue to support president Blatter," said CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, who was later re-elected, unopposed, as head of his body.
The heads of football federations from Jamaica, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Panama, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Puerto Rico also expressed their support for Blatter.
Despite the eulogies to Blatter, opposition candidates said that behind the scenes they had picked up support.
And Figo calls CONCACAF congress undemocratic
FIFA presidential hopeful Luis Figo has hit out at what he called a lack of democracy at CONCACAF's congress after incumbent Sepp Blatter was the only candidate given a chance to speak.
But none of the other candidates for election - Figo, Dutch Football Association President Michael van Praag or Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein - were given an opportunity to speak.
"When some speak and others are silenced, democracy and football lose. Elections are, per definition, a democratic process. Otherwise they are not elections," Figo said.
"I am an unconditional supporter of democracy. Democracy is essential in modern society. I continue to believe that FIFA elections have to be transparent."
Figo, a former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder, said he was unhappy with how the congress approached the impending, May 29th election.
"The candidates for the FIFA presidency were not allowed to speak in the CONCACAF congress but some campaigning interventions took place without being in the agenda," he said.
