Liberia FA president Musa Bility says his campaign team have successfully submitted his candidacy to Fifa to stand in February’s presidential elections.
The 48-year-old’s campaign manager, Edwin Snowe, met with Fifa’s acting Secretary General Marcus Kattner on Monday morning at the world governing body’s headquarters in Zurich.
Bility has received the backing of the five member associations necessary to stand, which have been passed on to Fifa’s Electoral Committee.
“I am a very happy man,” Bility told BBC Sport from his base in Liberia.
Bility is only the second African to formally stand for the Fifa presidency, after reigning Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou – currently the acting Fifa president given Sepp Blatter’s suspension – tried and failed in the 2002 elections.
“If we are to change football, then we have to make sure that those have been running Fifa for the last 20-25 years have nothing to do with it,” Bility added.
“Musa’s candidacy has been officially received by Fifa,” Snowe told BBC Sport from Fifa’s office in Switzerland.
Two other African men have also confirmed their intentions to stand.
On Saturday, South Africa’s Tokyo Sexwale announced his bid to run, but it is unclear whether he has the backing of the five nominations needed.
That is also the situation with former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami who made his intentions known last month.
Musa Bility joins Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan, former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid, one-time Fifa deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne and Michel Platini in registering for February’s elections.
The candidacy for Uefa chief Platini is unclear since he is currently serving a 90-day suspension by Fifa’s Ethics Committee, which the Frenchman is appealing.
All presidential candidates will have to pass integrity checks, carried out by the Electoral Committee, before being allowed to take part in the election set for 26 February.
Presidential hopefuls have until midnight on Monday to submit their candidacies for approval.
