Fifa presidential candidate Issa Hayatou has dismissed claims that he is being manipulated in his bid by the Uefa president Lennart Johansson.
Johansson was the man defeated in the 1998 election by the current incumbent Sepp Blatter, the man whom Hayatou is now challenging.
And Johansson, who is taking Blatter to a Swiss court over alleged financial irregularities, has made no secret of his backing for Hayatou.
But Hayatou said he was standing for election as his own man.
« I’m 56 years old and I’ve been involved in football at the top level for 26 years, » Hayatou told BBC Sport Online.
« First as the general secretary of Fecafoot (the Cameroon football federation) then vice President, President, President of Caf, and vice-president of Fifa.
« Mr Johansson is a very honest man, a very clever man. He’s giving me support, but he doesn’t give me support so he can manipulate me. « If Uefa want bad things then I won’t agree and they could turn against me. That’s normal. »
Hayatou added that Johansson’s support came from the Swede’s admiration for him as a person. « I know that Mr Johansson has been following me since 1990 and knows exactly what I can do, » Hayatou said. « He isn’t pushing me. »
Hayatou also said that he would not be afraid of making enemies if he was elected, giving the example of his commitment to strip South America of two World Cup qualifying places. « You know that I have told South America they will only have three World Cup places. It’s not right that one continent with only 10 countries gets five places. « I’m not afraid if they dont like it.
« Likewise if Uefa and some others don’t agree with me, no problem. »
