24 Dec 2010

FIFA President to visit American Samoa for congress next month

4:45 pm on 24 December 2010

The president of football's world body, Sepp Blatter, is to attend the Oceania Football Confederation's congress in American Samoa next month.

He's to be accompanied by FIFA's general secretary, Jerome Valcke, for the meeting on January 15th.

It will be the first time the election of Oceania's football leaders has been held in the territory.

All eleven member countries will be present with the Papua New Guinea Football Association president, David Chung, the acting president of the OFC, chairing the congress.

He had earlier replaced Reynald Temarii who was suspended by FIFA for 12 months for alleged breach of duties, following a sting by a British newspaper.

The OFC General Secretary, Tai Nicholas, says American Samoa is a fitting location for the regional meeting with reconstruction work on the territory's football facilities, which were destroyed during last year's tsunami, to be dedicated by the officials.