Would FIFA ever have an African president?

With the contest for the Fifa presidency gathering heat ahead of this year's elections, some of the men who matter in the sport have made their intentions clearly known: incumbent Sepp Blatter, along with challengers Luis Figo, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, and Michael van Praag.

But, of course, not one of those is African. Thus, for an umpteenth election year, Africa sits aloof, barely interested in whatever the outcome would be. It is hard to blame us, really.

None of Fifa's eight presidents throughout the federation's 110-year history has come from Africa, none even close.

Well, actually, one has; only a distant close, however.

In 2002, Issa Hayatou, current president of the Confederation of African Football, staged a daring campaign to oust Blatter. Hayatou did get solid backing, having secured the support of Uefa. In the long run, though, he proved no match for the balding Swiss who enjoyed a wider support base.

Emphatically trounced by 56 votes to Blatter's 139, Hayatou has never since stood up to the 78-year-old's office, instead keeping content with his lot and strengthening his own grip on the African domain.

So, then, who, if not Hayatou?

Well, there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of potential candidates as things stand. Retired African footballers are more interested in punditry and an uneventful pension, with few showing any aptitude for hard-core politics.

With the 2010 banning of Nigerian Amos Adamu, too, there seems a shortage of viable administrators who court goodwill in football's corridors of power.

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi, one of African football's fastest rising administrative stars, could get there someday (he already is on Fifa's Associations Committee) but still remains quite a long shot. Danny Jordaan's splendid organisation of the 2010 Fifa World Cup could stand him in good stead if - and when - he is ready for that step-up, while the likes of Kalusha Bwalya are still establishing roots on their home continent and climbing up the ladder.

However you look at it, Africa does not stand a fair chance anytime soon. Controversies over ethical issues which have tainted some of the Africans hitherto highly esteemed by the remainder of the world - the likes of Adamu, Hayatou himself, as well as Ivorian Jacques Anouma - render any hopes that might have existed fainter than ever.

It might happen someday, yes, but hardly in the foreseeable future.

Africa would have to wait a little longer, it seems, perhaps after everyone else has had their turn.

And - given that there have only been seven Europeans and one South American thus far – that is some queue.