China aiming for increased influence on FIFA (The Associated Press)

The influence of China in world soccer could increase on Tuesday if high-ranking Chinese official Zhang Jian is elected onto the FIFA Council in elections to be held in Goa, India. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is holding an Extraordinary Congress to elect three representatives to FIFA's new decision-making body which has replaced the scandal-hit Executive Committee. The chances of Zhang, the vice-president and secretary general of the Chinese Football Association, increased on Sunday when one of the favorites, Saoud A. Aziz Al-Mohannadi of Qatar, was barred from running.